SOUVENIRS 

OF 

Madame  VigGe  Le  Brijn. 


WITH  A  PORTRAIT 
ENGRAVED  FROM  AN  ORIGINAL  PAINTING  BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


Third  American  Edition,  Revised  and  Corrected 

BY 

MORRIS  F.  TYLER,  A.  M. 


NEW  YORK : 
R.  WORTHINGTON,   750  BP.OADWAY. 

MDCCCLXXX, 


Copyright, 
1879, 

By  R.  WORTHINGTON. 


NEW  YORK  ;  J.  J.  LITTLE  i  CO.,  PRINTERS, 
ID  TO  20  ASTOR  PLACE. 


CONTENTS. 


LETTERS  TO  THE  PRINCESS  KOURAKIN. 
LETTER  I. 

My  Childhood — My  Parents — I  am  placed  in  a  Convent — My  Love 
of  Painting — Poinsinet — Davesne — I  leave  the  Convent — My 
Brother   i 


LETTER  II. 

Death  of  my  Father — I  work  in  Briard's  Studio — Joseph  Vernet  ; 
Counsels  given  me  by  him — The  Abbe  Arnault — I  visit  some  Gal- 
leries of  Pamtings — My  Mother  marries  again — My  Step-father-^I 
take  Portraits — Count  Orloff — Count  Schouvaloff — Madame  Geof- 
f rin's  Visit — The  Duchesse  de  Chartres — The  Palais  Royal — Made- 
moiselle Duthe  and  Mademoiselle  Boquet   8 


LETTER  III. 

My  Walks — The  Coliseum,  the  Summer  Vauxhall — Marly,  Sceaux — ; 
My  Society  in  Paris — Le  Moine,  the  Sculptor — Gerbier — The 
Princesse  de  Rohan-Rochefort — The  Comtesse  de  Brionne — The 
Cardinal  de  Rohan — M.  de  Rhullievres — The  Due  de  Lauzun — I 
present  to  the  Academy  the  Portraits  of  Cardinal  de  Fleury  and 
De  la  Bruyere — D'Alembert's  Letter,  and  his  Visit  on  that  occa- 
sion  20 


LETTER  IV. 

My  Marriage — I  take  Pupils  ;  Madame  Benoist — I  give  up  this  School 
— My  Portraits  and  how  I  drew  them — Seance  at  the  French 
Academy — My  Daughter — The  Duchesse  de  Mazarin — The  Am- 
bassadors of  Tippoo  Saib — Paintings  which  I  do  for  them — Dinners 

which  they  give  me   30 

iii 


iv 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER  V. 

The  Queen — My  Sittings  at  Versailles — Different  portraits  made  by 
me  of  her — Her  Kindness — Louis  XVI. — Last  Court-ball  at  Ver- 
sailles— Madame  Elizabeth — Monsieur,  the  King's  Brother — Prin- 
cesse  de  Lamballe  •   40 


LETTER  VL 

Voyage  to  Flanders — Brussels — Prince  de  Ligne — The  painting  of 
the  Hotel  de  Ville,  Amsterdam,  by  Wanols— My  reception  at  the 
Royal  Academy  of  Painting — My  Lodgings — Society — My  Concerts 
— Garat — Asevedo  —  Madame  Todi  — Viotti  —  Maestrino  —  Prince 
Henry  of  Prussia — Salentin — Hulmandel — Cramer — My  Suppers — 
I  act  in  Society — Our  Actors   50 


LETTER  VIL 

The  Greek  Supper — Me'nageot — M.  de  Calonne — Mademoiselle  Ar- 
nault— Calumny — Madame  de  S.  .  .  — Her  Perfidy   60 


LETTER  VIIL 

Le  Kain — Brizard — Mademoiselle  Dumesnil — Monvel — Mademoiselle 
Rancourt  —  Mademoiselle  Sainval  —  Madame  Vestris  —  Larive — 
Clairon — Talma — Preville  Dugazon — Mademoiselle  Mars — Ma- 
dame St.  Huberti — The  two  Vestris — Cailleau   70 


LETTER  IX. 

Chantilly — Le  Raincy — Madame  de  Montesson — The  old  Princess 
de  Conti — Gennevilliers — Our  Plays — The  Marriage  of  Figaro — 
Beaumarchais — Monsieur  and  Madame  de  Villette — Moulin  Joli — 
Watelet — M.  de  Morfontine — The  Marquis  de  Montesquiou — My 
Horoscope   80 


LETTER  X. 


The  Due  de  Nivernais — The  Marechal  de  Noailles — His  Speech  to 
Louis  XV. — Madame  du  Barri—  Louveciennes — The  Due  de  Bris- 
sac — His  Death — Death  of  Madame  du  Barri   87 


CONTENTS. 


V 


LETTER  XI. 

Romahiville — Marechal  de  Segur — Malmaison — Madame  le  Couteux- 
du-Moley — Abbe  Sieyes — Madame  Augnier — Madame  Campan — 
Madame  Rousseau — The  first  Dauphin   94 


LETTER  XIL 

1789 — I  take  refuge  with  Brongniart — MM.  de  Sombreuil — Pamela 
— The  5th  of  October — The  Royal  Family  are  taken  from  Ver- 
sailles— I  leave  Paris — My  Companions  in  the  diligence — T  cross 
the  mountains  •    .  102 


SOUVENIRS. 


CHAPTER  1. 

Turin  —  Porporati  —  Correggio  —  Parma  —  M.  de  Flavigny  —  The 
Churches —  The  Infant  of  Parma  —  Modena  —  Bologna  —  Flor- 
ence  113 

CHAPTER  IL 

Rome — Drouais — Raffaelle — The  Coliseum — Angelica  Kaufifmann — 
Cardinal  Bernis — Roman  Customs — My  Movements   120 


CHAPTEPv  HL 

Portraits  done  in  Rome — The  Holy  Week — The  Papal  Benediction 
— The  Carnival— Madame  Benti — Crescentini — Marchesi — Her 
last  appearance  in  Rome.   126 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Piazza  of  St.  Peter's — Daggers — The  Princesse  Joseph  de  Monaco — 
The  Duchesse  de  Fleury — Kindness  of  Louis  XVI. — Abbe' Maury — 
Etiquette  M^hich  prevented  my  taking  the  Pope's  likeness — Tuscu- 
lum — Villas  Conti  and  Adrian — Monte  Mario — Genesano — Lake 
Nemi — Adventure   131 


vi 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

I  leave  for  Naples — The  Husband  of  Madame  Denis,  the  Niece  of 
Voltaire — The  Comte  and  Comtesse  Scawronski — Sir  William 
Hamilton — Lady  Hamilton — Her  Story  and  Attitudes — The  Hotel 
of  Morocco,.  Chiaja — The  Farnese  Hercules   144 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Baron  Talleyrand — Island  of  Capri — Vesuvius — Ischia  and  Pro- 
cida — The  Mont  St.  Nicolas — Portraits  of  the  eldest  daughters  of 
the  Queen  of  Naples — Portrait  of  the  Prince  Royal — Paesiello — 
Nina — Pausilippo   156 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

I  return  to  Rome — The  Queen  of  Naples — I  return  to  Naples — Fete 
of  the  Madonna  de  I'Arca — Fete  of  the  Pied  de  Grotte — Solfaterra 
— Pozzuoli — Cape  of  Misenum — Portrait  of  the  Queen  of  Naples — 
Character  of  this  Princess — My  Return  to  Rome — Mesdames  de 
France,  Aunts  of  Louis  XVI   166 


CHAPTER  Vni. 

I  leave  Rome — The  Cascade  of  Terni — The  Cabinet  of  Fontana 
at  Florence — Sienna — Its  Cathedral — Parma — My  Sybil — Mantua 
— Giulio  Romano   175 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Venice — M.  Denon — The  Marriage  of  the  Doge  with  the  Sea — Ma- 
dame Marini — The  Palaces — Tintoretto — Paccherotti — Cemetery 
— Vicenza — Padua — -Verona — A  Conversazione   179 


CHAPTER  X. 

Turin — The  Queen  of  Sardinia — Madame,  wife  of  Louis  XVIII. — 
Frightful  news  from  France — The  Emigres — M.  de  Riviere  joins 
me — Milan  —  Lago  Maggiore  —  I  go  to  Vienna — Monsieur  and 
Madame  Bistri.   184 


CONTENTS. 


vii 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Comtesse  de  Thoun  and  her  Soirees — The  Comtesse  Kinska — 
Casanova — Prince  Kaunitz — Baron  de  Strogonoff — Comte  de  Lan- 
geron — Comtesse  de  Fries — Her  Spectacles — Comtesse  de  Schon- 
feld   191 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Portraits  I  took  in  Vienna — Royal  Museum — Schonbrunn — The  Pra- 
ter— Balls — Prince  Esterhazy — Princesse  Marechale  Lubomirska — 
Comtesse  de  Rombec — Death  of  Louis  XVI.  and  Marie-Antoinette 
— Death  of  Madame  de  Polignac   199 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Huitzing — Princesse  Lichtenstein — I  decide  on  going  to  Russia — 
Prince  de  Ligne  lends  me  the  Convent  of  Caltemberg  as  a  resi- 
dence  204 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

I  leave  Vienna — Prague — The  Churches — Buda — Dresden — Prome- 
nades— The  Gallery — Raffaelle — Fortress  of  Konigsberg — Berlin — 
Reinsberg — Prince  Henry  of  Prussia   207 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Peterhof — Saint  Petersburg — Comte  Esterhazy — Czarskoiesiolo— 
Grand-Duchess  Elisabeth,  vi^ife  of  Alexander — Catherine  11. — 
Comte  Strogonoff — Kaminostroff — Hospitable  character  of  the 
Russians   211 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Comte  Cobentzel — Princesse  Dolgorouki — Tableaux  Vivants- 
kin — Madame  de  Witt — I  am  robbed — Doyen — M.  de 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

I  paint  the  two  young  Grand-Duchesses,  daughters  of  Paul — Platon 
Zouboff — The  Grand-Duchess  Elizabeth — The  Grand-Duchess 
Anne,  wife  of  Constantine — Madame  Narischkin — A  Court  Ball — 
A  Gala — Dinners  at  St.  Petersburg   229 


viii 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  Cold  at  St.  Petersburg — The  Russian  People — Gentleness  of  their 
Manners — Their  Probity  and  Intelligence — Comte  Golovin — The 
Melting  of  the  Ice  on  the  Neva — Salons  of  St.  Petersburg — The 
Theatre — Madame  Hus  —  Mandini  —  Comtesse  Strogonoff  —  Prin- 
cesse  Dolgo  Kourakin   239 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

The  Lake  of  Pergola — Island  of  Krestowski — My  Letter  to  Clery, 
valet  to  Louis  XVI. — His  Answer — I  paint  a  portrait  of  Marie  An- 
toinette for  the  Duchesse  d'Angouleme   250 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Catherine — The  King  of  Sweden — The  Masked  Ball — Death  of  Cath- 
erine— Her  Funeral   258 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Paul  I. — His   Character — Fire  at   Pergola — Frogeres — M.  d'Auti- 
champ — Koutaisoff — Madame  Chevalier   267 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Portrait  of  the  Empress  Marie — The  Grand-Dukes — The  Archiman- 
drite— Fete  at  Peterhoff — The  King  of  Poland — His  Death — Joseph 
Poniatowski     278 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

My  Reception  by  the  St.  Petersburg  Academy — My  Daughter — Sorrow 
caused  by  her  Marriage — The  Countess  Czarnicheff — I  leave  for 
Moscow   286 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A  Bad  Road — Moscow — Comtesse  Strogonoff — Princess  Tufakin — 
Marechale  Soltikoff — Prince  Alexander  Kourakin — Visit  to  an 
Englishwoman — Prince  Bezborodko — I  return  to  St.  Peters- 
burg  293 


CONTENTS.  IX 
» 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Death  of  Paul  I. — Joy  of  the  Russians — Details  of  the  Assassination 
— The  Emperor  Alexander  I. — I  paint  his  portrait  and  that  of  the 
Empress  Elizabeth — I  leave  Russia   302 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Narva — Berlin — M.  Ranspach — The  Queen  of  Prussia — Her  Family 
— The  Peacock's  Island — General  Bournonville   311 

CHAPTER  XXVn. 

I  leave  Berlin — Dresden — Letter  to  my  Brother — Frankfort — The 
Divoff  Family — I  return  to  France   319 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

I  arrive  in  Paris — Concert  in  the  Rue  Cle'ry — Ball  at  Madame  Reg- 
nault  de  Saint-Jean  d'Angely — Madame  Bonaparte — Vien — Gerard 
— Madame  Recamier — Madame  Tallien — Ducis — My  Soirees — I 
leave  for  London   326 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

London — The  Route — West — Reynolds — Mrs.  Siddons — Mrs.  Bil- 
lington — Madame  Grassini — Duchess  of  Devonshire — Sir  Francis 
Burdett   339 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

The  Prince  of  Wales — I  take  his  Portrait — Mrs.  Fitzherbert — My 
Letter  to  an  English  Painter — M.  le  Comte  d'Artois — The  Comtesse 
de  Polastron — The  Due  de  Berri   351 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

The  Chinnery  Family — Viotti — Windsor — Hampton  Court — Herschel 
— Bath — The  Duchess  of  Dorset — Madame  de  Vaudreuil — M.  le 
Due  d'Orleans — M.  le  Due  de  Montpensier — The  Margravine  of 
Anspach — Stowe — Warwick   356 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

I  leave  England — Rotterdam — Antwerp — M.  d'Hedouville — I  arrive 
in  Paris — Madame  Catalani — Mademoiselle  Duchesnois — Madame 
Murat — I  take  her  portrait   367 


X 


CONTENTS. 
« 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


Louveciennes — Madame  Hocquart — The  Twenty-first  of  March,  1814 
— Foreigners — The  Pavilion  of  Louveciennes — Louis  XVIIL — The 
Twentieth  of  March,  181 5 — The  Family  of  Louis  XVIII  373 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

The  Queen's  Portrait — M.  Briffaut — M.  Aime  Martin — De'saugiers — 
Gros — I  paint  the  Duchesse  de  Berri   383 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

Cruel  Losses  I  sustained  in  my  Family — Voyage  to  Bordeaux — Mere- 
ville — The  Monastery  of  Marmoutier — Return  to  Paris — My 
Nieces   389 


Postscriptum  by  the  Editor, 


397 


LETTERS 

TO  THE 

PRINCESS  KOURAKIN. 


LETTER  1. 

My  Childhood — My  Parents — I  am  placed  in  a  Convent — My  Love  of 
Painting — Poinsinet — Davesne — I  leave  the  Convent — My  Brother. 

Y  dear  good  friend — you  wish  me  so  very  much 
to  write  you  my  Souvenirs  that  I  will  no  longer 
refrain  from  satisfying  you.  What  sad  feel- 
ings will  rise  within  me  as  I  recall  the  different  scenes  I 
have  witnessed  and  the  friends  who  no  longer  exist,  ex- 
cept in  my  thoughts  !  However  it  will  not  be  a  difficult 
task,  for  my  heart  remembers  well  its  former  friends  and 
in  my  solitary  hours  they  seem  still  to  be  near  me,  in  my 
imagination. 

I  will  begin  by  telling  you,  dear  friend,  about  my  child- 
hood and  youth,  for  they  foretold  my  life,  since  my  love 
for  painting  developed  itself  from  my  earliest  years.  I 
was  placed  in  a  convent  at  the  age  of  six  ;  and  there  I 
remained  till  I  was  eleven.  All  that  time  I  scribbled 
everywhere  and  on  everything — my  copy  books  and  those 

I 


2 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


of  my  companions  were  filled  with  little  heads  and  pro- 
files ;  I  drew  figures  and  landscapes  with  charcoal  on  the 
walls  of  the  dormitories,  and  as  you  can  suppose  I  was 
often  punished  for  that  freak.  During  my  play-hours  I 
traced  on  the  sand  everything  that  came  into  my  head.  I 
remember  at  the  age  of  seven  or  eight  I  drew  by  lamp- 
light a  man's  head  with  his  beard,  which  I  have  always 
preserved.  I  showed  it  to  my  father  who  was  extremely 
pleased,  and  said  :  Thou  wilt  be  a  painter^  my  child,  if  ever 
there  was  one. 

I  tell  you  all  this  to  show  you  how  innate  in  me  was  my 
love  for  painting — this  love  has  never  decreased  ;  I  even 
believe  it  has  increased  with  age,  for  even  now  I  feel  the 
charm  of  it  the  same  as  of  yore,  and  I  hope  indeed  it  will 
not  leave  me  as  long  as  I  live.  Besides,  it  is  to  this 
divine  passion  that  I  am  indebted  not  only  for  my  fortune 
but  my  happiness  ;  in  my  youth,  as  well  as  at  the  present 
time,  it  has  brought  me  in  contact  with  the  most  distin- 
guished and  most  charming  characters  in  Europe,  both 
men  and  women.  The  memory  of  so  many  remarkable 
people  gives  a  great  charm  to  my  solitude — I  can  still  see 
those  that  are  no  more,  and  I  am  thankful  that  I  have 
still  these  visions  of  a  past  happiness. 

My  health  in  the  convent  was  not  very  strong,  so  that 
my  father  and  mother  often  came  and  took  me  away  to 
spend  a  few  days  with  them,  which  was  very  delightful  for 
me  in  many  ways. 

My  father,  Louis  Vigee,  drew  very  well  in  chalks ;  there 
are  some  portraits  of  his  worthy  of  Latour.  He  also  did 
some  oil  paintings  after  Watteau.   The  one  you  have  seen 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  3 

at  my  house  is  rich  in  colouring  and  very  spirited.  But 
to  return  to  the  delights  of  my  father's  home,  I  must  tell 
you  that  he  allowed  me  to  try  chalks  also,  and  all  day  long 
I  used  to  dabble  with  his  pencils. 

He  loved  his  art  so  much,  that  at  times  he  used  to  be- 
have in  a  most  eccentric  manner,  through  his  love  for  it. 
I  remember  one  day  he  had  dressed  himself  for  dining  in 
Paris  and  had  left  the  house  ;  but  remembering  a  painting 
which  he  had  just  begun  he  turned  back  again,  to  retouch 
it.  He  then  took  off  his  wig,  put  on  a  night  cap  and  after- 
wards went  out  of  doors  wearing  his  gold-laced  coat  and 
his  sword,  &c.  Had  it  not  been  for  a  kind  neighbour  who 
reminded  him  of  his  costume,  he  would  have  wandered 
all  about  the  city  in  that  guise. 

My  father  was  very  witty  and  clever.  His  gaiety  was 
so  natural  that  every  one  felt  inspired  with  it  too,  and 
very  often  people  came  to  have  their  portraits  taken  on 
account  of  his  lively  conversation  and  originality  ;  perhaps 
you  know  the  following  anecdote  :  One  day  whilst  he  was 
taking  the  portrait  of  a  rather  pretty  woman,  he  noticed 
that  v/hen  he  worked  at  her  mouth  she  kept  screwing  it 
up  to  make  it  as  small  as  possible. 

Irritated  at  last  by  this  trick  my  father  said  to  her  with 
much  calmness  : 

"Don't  distress  yourself,  Madame,  if  you  particularly 
wish  it,  I  can  draw  you  with  none  at  all." 

My  mother  *  was  very  beautiful.    One  can  well  believe 


^"  Jeanne  Maissin,  daughter  of  Christopher  Maissin  and  of  Cather- 
ine Grand-Jean,  was  born  in  1728,  at  Orges,  in  the  diocese  of  Treves. 


4 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


that  from  the  portrait  in  chalks  which  my  father  made  of 
her,  as  well  as  from  one  which  I  took  in  oils  much  later.* 
She  was  rigidly  virtuous.  My  father  adored  her  like  a 
divinity  ;  but  grisettes  had  a  great  attraction  for  him.  New 
Year's  Day  was  a  festival  indeed  ;  he  used  to  rush  all  over 
Paris,  without  paying  a  single  visit,  solely  for  the  purpose 
of  embracing  all  the  young  girls  whom  he  met,  under  the 
pretence  of  wishing  them  the  usual  New  Year's  greet- 
ings. 

I  was  naturally  religious  and  my  mother  was  the  same. 
We  always  attended  the  mass  and  the  every  day  services. 
During  Lent  we  never  missed  one,  not  even  the  evening 
prayers.  Sacred  music  always  had  a  great  influence  over 
me,  and  the  sound  of  an  organ  at  one  time  made  such  an 
impression  on  me  that  I  wept  without  the  least  idea  of 
why  I  did  so.  That  sound  always  reminds  me  now  of  my 
father's  death. 

In  those  days  my  father  knew  several  artists  and  liter- 
ary men,  who  used  to  come  and  spend  the  evening  with 
us.  I  shall  put  Doyen  f  at  the  head,  an  historical  painter, 
my  father's  most  intimate  friend  and  my  first  one.  Doyen 
was  an  excellent  man,  full  of  wit  and  good  sense ;  his 
ideas  about  people  and  things  were  always  very  correct ; 
and  he  spoke  so  enthusiastically  of  painting  that  he  used 


*  This  portrait  is  oval,  half-length  ;  I  painted  it  at  the  age  of  fif- 
teen years  and  a  half. — Ed. 

f  Gabriel  Doyen,  born  at  Paris,  1726,  died  at  St.  Petersburgh, 
1806.  His  most  celebrated  paintings  were  the  "  Death  of  Virginia'' 
and  "Death  of  St.  Louis." 


MADAME  LE  BRUM.  5 

to  make  my  heart  beat  with  the  same  feeUng  ;  Poinsinet  * 
was  also  very  gay  and  bright ;  many  of  his  works  and 
plays  are  still  appreciated,  and  he  is  the  only  literary  man 
who  ever  received  three  dramatic  triumphs  in  one  even- 
ing :  Ernelinde,  at  the  Grand  Opera ;  Le  Cercle,  at  the 
Franfais,  and  Tom  Jones,  at  the  Opera  Comique.  It  was 
said  at  the  time  by  some  one  speaking  about  the  Cercle, 
where  the  society  of  that  period  is  very  well  depicted,  that 
Poinsinet  must  have  listened  behind  the  doors  to  know  so 
well  about  its  ins  and  outs.  His  end  was  very  tragical.  He 
was  seized  with  a  wish  to  travel,  and  began  by  visiting 
Spain,  where  he  was  drowned  in  crossing  the  Guadalquivir. 

I  must  not  forget  to  mention  Davesne,  a  painter  as  well 
as  a  poet,  but  not  by  any  means  a  proficient  in  either  art, 
whose  very  witty  conversation  made  him  always  welcome 
at  my  father's  house.  I  shall  never  forget,  though  I  was 
so  very  young  at  the  time,  how  cheerful  those  evenings 
used  to  be.  I  was  made  to  leave  the  room  before  des- 
sert ;  but  from  my  room  I  could  hear  laughing,  singing, 
and  mirth,  which  to  tell  the  truth  I  did  not  fully  under- 
stand, but  which  nevertheless  made  my  holidays  all  the 
more  delightful. 

When  I  was  eleven,  I  left  the  convent,  after  having  been 
confirmed,  and  Davesne,  who  painted  in  oils,  asked  me  to 


*  Antoine-Alexandre-Henri  Poinsinet,  French  dramatic  author. 
He  composed  several  veiy  successful  plays;  "  Le  Cercle,"  or  "A 
Fashionable  Evening,"  w^as  long  played  at  the  Theatre  Francais.  He 
was  born  at  Fontainebleau,  17th  of  November,  1735,  and  died  at 
Cordova,  7th  of  June,  1769. 


6 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


go  to  his  house,  so  that  he  might  teach  me  how  to  handle 
a  palette  ;  his  wife  came  to  fetch  me.*  They  were  so 
poor  that  they  were  piteous  to  behold.  One  day  they 
begged  me  to  remain  and  dine  with  them,  as  I  wished  to 
finish  a  head  I  had  commenced  ;  and  this  meal  was  com- 
posed only  of  soup  and  roast  potatoes.  I  believe  that 
neither  of  them  made  "any  real  meal  except  when  they  had 
supper  at  my  father's. 

It  was  a  great  pleasure  to  me  not  to  leave  my  parents 
any  more.  My  brother,  who  was  younger  by  two  years 
than  myself,  was  very  handsome,  and  wonderfully  clever 
for  his  age  ;  he  progressed  very  quickly  with  his  studies, 
and  was  a  great  favourite  with  his  masters  who  used  to 
send  home  most  flattering  accounts  of  his  work.  I  was 
far  from  having  his  wit  and  brightness,  and  his  pretty  face, 
for  at  that  time  I  was  rather  plain.  I  had  an  enormous 
forehead,  my  eyes  were  sunk  deep  in  my  head  ;  my  nose 
was  the  only  good  feature  in  my  thin,  pale  face.  I  had 
grown  so  fast  that  I  found  it  hard  to  stand  upright,  and  I 
used  to  bend  like  a  reed.  All  these  imperfections  were  a 
great  trial  to  my  mother.  I  always  knew  she  had  a  fancy 
for  my  brother  rather  than  for  myself,  for  she  spoilt  him, 
and  forgave  him  very  quickly  when  he  was  naughty,  whilst 
she  was  very  severe  with  me. 

My  father,  on  the  contrary,  made  up  for  it  by  petting 
me  immensely.  His  tenderness  endeared  him  very  much 
to  me,  so  that  his  memory  seems  always  present  with  me, 


*  Davesne  exhibited  the  portrait  of  his  wife  in  1774  at  the  Acade- 
my of  St.  Luke. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  7 

and  I  do  not  think  I  have  forgotten  a  single  word  which 
he  said  before  me.  How  many  times  have  I  remem- 
bered the  following  incident,  in  1789,  as  a  sort  of  projjh- 
ecy  !  One  day  my  father  seemed  so  depressed  and  sad 
on  leaving  a  dinner-party  where  he  had  met  Diderot, 
Helvetius,  and  d'Alembert,  that  my  mother  asked  him  the 
reason.  "All  that  I  have  heard,  dear  friend,  shows  me 
that  the  world  will  soon  be  turned  upside  down." 

I  will  finish  this  long  letter,  my  dearest,  and  embrace 
you  with  all  my  heart. 


LETTER  II. 


Death  of  my  Father— I  work  in  Briard's  Studio— Joseph  Vernet ; 
Counsels  given  me  by  him — The  Abbe  Arnault— I  visit  some  Gal- 
leries of  Paintings — My  Mother  marries  again — My  Step-father — I 
take  Portraits— Count  Orloff— Count  Schouvaloff— Madame  Geof- 
frin's  Visit— The  Duchesse  de  Chartres— The  Palais  Royal— Made- 
moiselle Duthe  and  Mademoiselle  Boquet. 

P  to  the  present  time,  dear  friend,  I  have  only 
told  you  of  my  joys  ;  I  must  now  tell  you  of 
the  first  affliction  which  I  suffered,  and  of  my 
first  real  grief. 

I  had  been  at  home  for  about  one  happy  year  when  my 
father  fell  ill.  He  swallowed  a  fish-bone  which  lodged  in 
his  throat,  and  several  incisions  had  to  be  made  in  order 
to  dislodge  it.  The  operations  were  performed  by  the 
frere  Come,*  in  whom  we  placed  every  confidence,  and 
who  was  like  a  saint.  He  tended  my  father  with  the 
greatest  care,  but  in  spite  of  all  his  affectionate  assiduity, 
the  wound  became  envenomed,  and  after  two  months  of 
great  suffering,  my  father's  condition  left  no  hope  of  re- 
covery.   My  mother  wept  day  and  night,  and  I  cannot 


*  Jean  Bashillia,  called  Frere  Come,  was  born  at  Ponyastine,  near 
Tarbes,  the  5th  of  April,  1703  ;  he  was  considered  a  clever  operator. 

8 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  9 

describe  to  you  my  own  grief,  I  was  losing  the  best  of 
fathers,  my  support  and  guide  ;  he  whose  kindness  en- 
couraged my  first  attempts  at  painting. 

When  he  felt  himself  dying,  my  father  desired  my 
brother  and  myself  to  approach.  We  drew  near  his  bed, 
weeping  bitterly.  His  face  was  cruelly  altered  ;  his  eyes 
and  face,  usually  so  animated,  were  sunk  and  dimmed,  for 
already  the  chill  hand  of  death  had  laid  itself  upon  him. 
We  took  his  hand  and  covered  it  with  kisses  and  tears. 
He  made  an  effort  to  rise,  and  gave  us  his  benediction  : 
"Be  happy,  my  children,"  said  he.  An  hour  later  our 
excellent  father  was  no  more.* 

My  grief  was  so  great  that  it  was  a  long  time  before  I 
could  touch  my  pencils.  Doyen  came  to  see  us  some- 
times, and  as  he  had  been  my  father's  best  friend,  his 
visits  were  a  great  consolation.  It  was  he  who  persuaded 
me  to  take  up  my  beloved  occupation  again,  and  indeed 
I  always  found  distraction  and  forgetfulness  of  my  woes 
whilst  I  was  painting.  At  this  time  I  began  painting 
from  nature  and  from  casts.  I  made  several  portraits  in 
oils  and  pastels.  I  drew  also  landscapes  and  from  casts 
with  Mademoiselle  Boquet,t  whom  I  then  knew.    I  spent 

*  Louis  Vigee,  Painter  of  the  Academy  of  St.  Luke,  died  May  gth, 
1768. 

f  In  1 75 1  Mademoiselle  Boquet,  Member  of  the  Academy  of  St. 
Luke,  exhibited  in  the  salons  of  this  Academy  the  portrait  of  M. 
Eisen,  painter.  This  painting  was  presented  by  the  author  for  his 
reception  into  the  Academy  of  St.  Luke,  She  exhibited  in  the  same 
year  the  portrait  of  Madame  Boquet,  her  mother,  as  well  as  several 
other  portraits. 


lO 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


the  evening  with  her  in  the  Rue  St.  Denis,  opposite  the 
Rue  de  la  Truanderie,  where  her  father  kept  a  curiosity 
shop.  It  was  a  long  way  off,  for  we  lived  in  the  Rue  de 
Clery,  opposite  the  Hotel  Lubert ;  consequently,  my 
mother  never  allowed  me  to  walk  there  alone. 

At  that  time  Mademoiselle  Boquet  and  myself  used  to 
draw  a  great  deal  with  Briard,  the  painter,*  who  lent  us 
his  designs  and  ancient  busts  to  copy.  Briard  was  not  a 
very  good  painter,  although  he  did  some  ceilings  which 
were  remarkable  for  their  composition,  but  he  was  an  ex- 
cellent draughtsman,  which  was  the  reason  that  several 
young  artists  came  to  take  lessons  from  him.  He  lived 
at  the  Louvre.  We  had  each  our  dinner  brought  us  in  a 
little  basket  by  the  servant,  so  that  we  might  draw  for  a 
longer  time.  I  can  still  remember  how  we  used  to  enjoy 
buying  from  the  cojicierge  at  one  of  the  entrances  to  the 
Louvre  pieces  of  beef  a  la  rnode^  which  were  so  delicious 
that  I  have  never  eaten  anything  better  in  my  life. 

Mademoiselle  Boquet  was  then  fifteen  years  old,  and  I 
was  fourteen.  We  were  rival  beauties,  for  I  have  for- 
gotten to  tell  you,  dear  friend,  that  a  complete  metamor- 
phosis had  taken  place  in  me,  and  that  I  had  become 
pretty.  She  had  remarkable  talent,  and  my  progress  in 
painting  was  so  rapid  that  people  had  begun  to  talk  about 
me  in  the  world,  which  caused  me  to  have  the  satisfaction 


*  Gabriel  Briard,  historical  painter,  was  born  in  Paris  in  1725,  and 
died  in  1777  ;  he  was  nominated  Member  of  the  Royal  Academy  of 
Paintings,  April  30th,  1768.  He  painted  amongst  other  great  ceil- 
ings that  of  the  Chateau  de  Louveciennes. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


II 


of  knowing  Joseph  Vernet.*  That  celebrated  artist  en- 
couraged me  and  gave  the  best  advice.  "  My  child," 
said  he,  "  do  not  follow  any  particular  school.  Only  con- 
sult the  works  of  the  great  Italian  and  Flemish  masters ; 
but,  above  all,  do  as  much  as  you  can  from  nature.  Na- 
ture is  the  best  master.  If  you  study  it  diligently,  you 
will  never  get  into  any  mannerisms."  I  have  always  fol- 
lowed his  advice,  for  properly  speaking,  I  have  never  had 
a  master.  As  for  Joseph  Vernet,  he  has  proved  the  ex- 
cellence of  his  method  by  his  works,  which  have  been, 
and  will  be  always,  justly  admired. 

I  also  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  Abbe  Arnault,  of 
the  Academic  Fran^aise.  He  was  a  man  of  much  imag- 
ination, passionately  fond  of  literature  and  art,  whose 
conversation  enriched  my  ideas,  if  I  may  be  allowed  to 
explain  myself  so.  He  spoke  most  enthusiastically  about 
Painting  and  Music,  and  was  an  ardent  partisan  of  Gliick. 
Later  on  he  brought  that  great  musician  to  my  house, 
for  I  loved  music  also. 

My  mother  was  very  proud  of  my  looks  and  figure,  for 
I  had  become  plump  again,  which  gave  me  the  freshness 
of  youth.  On  Sundays  she  used  to  walk  with  me  in  the 
Tuileries.  She  was  still  very  beautiful  herself  at  that 
time,  and  it  is  so  long  ago  now  that  I  do  not  mind  telling 
you  that  we  were  followed  about  in  such  a  manner  that  I 
was  much  more  embarrassed  than  flattered  by  the  atten- 
tion we  excited.    My  mother,  seeing  me  always  so  de- 


*  Madame  Vigee  Le  Brun  did  the  portrait  of  Jo^ph  Vernet  in 
1789,  it  was  exhibited  in  the  Louvre  during  her  lifetime. 


12 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


pressed  at  the  cruel  loss  I  had  had,  thought  the  best 
thing  to  distract  my  mind  was  to  take  me  to  see  paintings. 
We  visited  the  Palace  of  the  Luxembourg,  when  the  gal- 
lery was  filled  with  the  masterpieces  of  Rubens,  and 
many  other  rooms  crowded  with  the  works  of  great  mas- 
ters. Now,  one  can  see  there  the  paintings  of  modern 
French  artists  ;  I  am  the  only  one  who  has  none  in  that 
collection.  These  paintings  have  been  since  transported 
to  the  Museum  of  the  Louvre,  and  those  of  Rubens  lose 
much  from  not  being  seen  in  the  place  they  were  painted. 
Well  or  badly  hung  pictures  are  like  pieces  of  music  well 
or  badly  played.  We  went  also  to  see  some  good  private 
collections.  Rendon  de  Boisset  possessed  a  gallery  of 
Flemish  and  French  pictures.  The  Due  de  Praslin  and  the 
Marquis  de  Levis  had  rich  collections  from  every  school. 
M.  Harens  Le  Preste  had  a  beautiful  one  of  Italian  mas- 
ters, but  none  could  be  compared  with  that  of  the  Palais 
Royal,  which  had  been  formed  by  the  Regent,  and  which 
contained  so  many  chefs-d'oiuvres  by  great  Italian  masters. 
It  was  sold  during  the  Revolution.  An  Englishman,  Lord 
Stafford,  bought  most  of  the  paintings. 

From  the  time  I  entered  one  of  these  rich  galleries,  I 
could  only  be  compared  to  a  bee  picking  up  knowledge 
and  ideas  for  my  art,  and  becoming  quite  intoxicated  in 
the  contemplation  of  great  masters.  I  copied  several 
paintings  by  Rubens,  some  by  Rembrandt  and  Vandyck, 
and  several  heads  of  young  girls  by  Greuze,  because  these 
last  thoroughly  explained  the  semitones  which  are  found 
in  delicate  carnations  ;  Vandyck  explains  them  also,  but 
much  more  delicately. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 3 

I  owe  to  these  studies  the  important  knowledge  of  the 
gradations  of  Ught  on  the  most  projecting  portions  of  the 
head,  gradations  which  I  admire  so  much  in  Raphael,  who 
combines,  indeed,  every  perfection.  And,  indeed,  it  is 
only  in  Rome,  and  under  the  beautiful  Italian  sky  that 
Raphael  can  justly  be  appreciated.  When,  later  on,  I  was 
enabled  to  behold  those  of  his  masterpieces  which  have 
never  left  their  country,  I  found  Raphael  to  be  above  his 
immense  reputation. 

My  father  left  no  fortune  ;  I  earned  a  good  deal  of 
money  already,  having  several  portraits  to  take  ;  but  that 
did  not  suffice  for  the  household  expenses,  seeing  that  I 
had  also  to  pay  for  my  brother's  schooling,  his  clothes, 
and  books,  &c.  My  mother  was,  therefore,  compelled  to 
remarry.*  She  espoused  a  rich  jeweller,f  whom  we  had 
never  suspected  of  being  avaricious,  and  yet  who  became 
immediately  after  his  marriage  so  mean  that  he  refused  us 
the  bare  necessities  of  life,  although  I  was  good  enough  to 
give  him  all  that  I  earned.  Joseph  Vernet  vv^as  furious  ; 
he  continually  advised  me  to  pay  him  a  pension,  and  keep 
the  overplus  for  myself,  but  I  did  not  do  so.  I  was  afraid 
lest  with  such  a  miser  my  mother  would  suffer.  I  hated 
this  man  all  the  more  because  he  had  appropriated  my 
father's  wardrobe,  and  wore  his  clothes,  just  as  they  were, 
without  any  alterations.  You  can  easily  understand,  dear 
friend,  what  a  sad  impression  they  made  on  me  ! 

I  had,  as  I  have  already  told  you,  several  portraits  on 


*  This  marriage  took  place  in  January,  1768. 
f  Called  Jacques-Frangois  Le  Sevre. 


14  SOUVENIRS  OF 

hand,  and  already  my  youthful  reputation  attracted  to  me 
several  foreigners.  Many  great  Russian  personages  came 
to  visit  me,  amongst  others,  the  celebrated  Count  Orloff, 
one  of  the  assassins  of  Peter  III.  He  was  a  colossal  man, 
and  I  remember  he  wore  a  remarkably  large  diamond-ring 
upon  his  finger. 

I  painted  almost  immediately  afterwards  the  portrait  of 
Count  Schouvaloff,*  Grand-Chamberlain.  He  was  then, 
I  believe,  about  sixty,  and  had  been  the  lover  of  the  Em- 
press EHzabeth  II.  of  Russia.  He  combined  perfect 
politeness  with  charming  manners,  and,  as  he  was  a  most 
agreeable  man,  he  was  sought  by  the  best  society. 

I  received  at  the  same  time  the  visit  of  Madame  Geof- 
frin,t  whose  salon  made  her  so  celebrated.  Madame  Geof- 
frin  entertained  at  her  house  all  the  most  distinguished  lit- 
erary and  artistic  men,  foreigners  and  courtiers.  Without 
birth,  talents,  or  any  fortune  to  speak  of,  she  created  for 
herself  in  Paris  a  position  unique  in  its  way,  and  which  no 
woman  to-day  would  be  able  to  accomplish.  Having 
heard  me  spoken  about,  she  came  to  see  me  one  morning, 
and  made  very  flattering  remarks  on  my  person  and  talent. 
Although  she  was  not  very  old  then,  I  should  have  thought 
her  at  least  a  hundred,  for  not  only  did  she  stoop  a  great 
deal,  but  her  costume  aged  her  immensely.    She  wore  an 


*  Madame  Vige'e  Le  Brun  mentions  in  her  catalogue  of  portraits, 
the  portrait  of  Count  Schouvaloff  as  having  been  painted  in  1775, 
which  was  seven  years  after  her  mother's  marriage. 

f  Madame  Geoffrin,  (Marie-Therese  Rodet,)  born  in  Paris  in  1699, 
died  in  that  city  in  1777. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 5 

iron-grey  dress,  with  a  large  flapped  cap,  covered  with  a 
black  hood,  tied  under  her  chin.  At  her  age  now-a-days 
women,  on  the  contrary,  contrive  to  make  themselves  look 
younger  by  the  care  th:y  take  about  their  dress. 

Soon  after  my  mother's  marriage,  we  lodged  wij:h  my 
step-father,  in  the  Rue  St.  Honore,  opposite  the  Terrace 
of  the  Palais  Royal,  on  to  which  my  windows  looked.  I 
often  saw  the  Duchesse  de  Chartres  walking  in  the  gardens 
with  her  ladies,  and  I  noticed  that  she  looked  at  me  with 
much  interest  and  kindliness.  I  had  just  finished  the  por- 
trait of  my  mother,  which  was  much  spoken  of  at  the 
time.  The  Duchesse  sent  for  me  to  paint  her's  at  the 
Palace.  She  communicated  to  those  about  her  her  great 
sympathy  for  my  youthful  talent,  so  that  it  was  not  long 
before  I  received  the  visit  of  the  noble  and  beautiful 
Comtesse  de  Brionne  and  her  daughter,  the  Princesse  de 
Lorraine,  who  was  extremely  pretty,  and  after  that  of  all 
the  great  ladies  of  the  Court  and  the  Faubourg  St.  Ger- 
main. 

Since  I  have  already  told  you,  dear  friend,  how  much 
attention  I  excited  at  promenades  and  other  sights,  so 
much  so  that  I  often  had  crowds  around  me,  you  can 
easily  understand  that  several  admirers  of  my  countenance 
made  me  paint  their's  also,  in  the  hope  of  pleasing  me, 
but  I  was  so  absorbed  in  my  art  that  nothing  had  the  power 
of  distracting  my  thoughts.  Besides,  the  moral  and  re- 
ligious precepts  inculcated  by  my  mother  protected  me 
from  the  seductions  with  which  I  was  surrounded.  Fortu- 
nately for  me,  I  had  never  read  a  single  novel.  The  first 
I  read  (it  was    Clarissa  Harlowe,"  which  interested  me 


i6 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


extremely)  was  not  till  after  my  marriage  ;  up  to  that 
time  I  read  only  religious  books,  "  The  Lives  of  the 
Holy  Fathers  "  amongst  others,  for  everything  is  con- 
tained therein,  and  a  few  class-books  belonging  to  my 
brother. 

But  to  return  to  these  admirers.  As  soon  as  I  discovered 
that  they  wanted  to  gaze  at  me  with  ''^  les  yeux  tendres"  I 
painted  them  with  the  eyes  averted,  which  prevented  them 
from  regarding  the  painter.  And  then,  at  the  least  move- 
ment round  of  their  eyes,  I  said  :  "  I  am  just  at  the  eyes," 
which  was  annoying  for  them,  as  you  can  suppose  ;  my 
mother,  who  never  left  me,  and  whom  I  had  taken  into 
my  confidence,  used  to  be  much  entertained. 

About  this  time  the  Marquis  de  Choiseul  was  amongst 
the  number  of  my  admirers  with  the  loving  glances,  which 
enraged  me,  for  he  had  just  married  a  lovely  girl.  She 
was  a  Mademoiselle  Rabi,  an  American,  only  sixteen 
years  old.  I  do  not  believe  a  prettier  creature  ever 
lived. 

On  fete  days  and  Sundays,  after  having  heard  mass,  my 
mother  and  step-father  used  to  take  me  out  into  the  Palais 
Royal.  At  that  time  the  garden  was  much  larger  and 
more  beautiful  than  it  is  now — hemmed  in  by  houses, 
which  quite  surround  it.  On  the  left  there  was  a  broad 
and  very  long  alley,  shaded  by  great  trees,  which  formed 
a  kind  of  arch,  impenetrable  to  the  sun.  It  was  there  that 
the  beauty  and  fashion  of  Paris  used  to  promenade.  As 
for  the  other  set,  they  took  refuge  some  way  off  under  the 
quince  trees. 

The  opera  was  then  close  by  ;  it  was  in  the  Palace.  In 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 7 

summer  it  was  over  at  half-past  eight,  and  all  the  most 
elegant  women  left  even  before  it  was  over,  and  adjourned 
to  the  garden  instead.  It  was  then  the  fashion  for  women 
to  carry  enormous  bouquets,  the  odour  of  which,  added 
to  that  of  the  strongly-scented  powder  used  in  the  hair, 
made  the  air  seem  quite  embalmed.  Long  after,  but  be- 
fore the  Revolution,  I  have  seen  these  reunions  prolonged 
till  two  in  the  morning,  with  open-air  music  by  moonlight. 
Many  artists  and  amateurs  sang  there,  including  Garat 
and  Asevedo.  It  was  crowded  with  people,  and  the 
famous  St.  Georges  *  often  played  his  violin. 

It  was  there  that  I  saw  for  the  first  time  the  elegant  and 
pretty  Mademoiselle  Duthe,  who  used  to  walk  about  with 
other  women  of  light  character  ;  for  in  those  days  no 
gentlemen  were  ever  seen  with  such  people ;  if  they  joined 
them  at  the  play  it  was  always  in  covered  boxes.  Eng- 
lishmen are  less  delicate  on  this  point — this  same  Made- 
moiselle Duthe  was  often  accompanied  by  an  Englishman, 
so  devoted,  that  eighteen  years  after  I  saw  them  still  to- 
gether at  the  theatre  in  London.  The  brother  of  this 
man  was  with  them,  and  I  was  informed  that  all  three 
lived  together.  You  have  no  idea,  dear  friend,  what  bad 
women  were  like  in  those  days.  Mademoiselle  Duthe,  for 
instance,  expended  millions  ;  now  that  trade  is  nowhere  ; 
few  would  ruin  themselves  for  such  women. 

This  reminds  me  of  a  speech  of  the  Duchesse  de  Char- 
tres,  whose  naivete  I  have  always  enjoyed.     I  have 


*  Chevalier  de  Saint-Georges,  a  Mulatto,  born  in  Guadeloupe  in 
1745  and  died  1799.    Son  of  a  coloured  woman  and  M.  de  Boulogne. 


i8 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


already  written  to  you  about  her,  worthy  descendant  of 
the  virtuous  and  benevolent  Due  dc  Penthievre.  Shortly 
after  her  marriage,  as  she  was  standing  at  her  window, 
one  of  her  gentlemen  in  waiting  seeing  some  of  these 
women  pass  by  said  :  "  here  are  some  shady  creatures." 
"  How  do  you  know  they  are  not  married  ?"  replied  the 
Duchess  in  her  most  candid  ignorance. 

We  never  walked  in  that  long  alley  of  the  Palais  Royal, 
Mademoiselle  Boquet  and  myself,  without  attracting  great 
attention.  We  were  then  about  sixteen  and  seventeen, 
and  Mademoiselle  Boquet  was  very  beautiful.  At  nine- 
teen she  had  the  small-pox  which  created  quite  a  sensa- 
tion, and  all  classes  of  society  made  inquiries  about  her 
progress;  numerous  carriages  were  at  her  door  every  day. 
In  those  days  beauty  was  really  an  advantage. 

Mademoiselle  Boquet  was  remarkably  talented,  but  she 
gave  up  painting  soon  after  her  marriage  with  M.  Filleul, 
at  which  time  the  Queen  appointed  her  keeper  of  the 
Chateau  de  la  Muette.  I  wish  I  could  tell  you  about  this 
charming  woman,  without  recalling  her  tragical  fate.  Alas  ! 
I  remember  at  the  time  I  was  leaving  France  to  flee 
from  the  horrors  which  I  foresaw,  Madame  Filleul  said  : 
"  Vou  are  wrong  to  leave,  I  shall  remain  ;  for  I  believe  in 
the  happiness  which  this  revolution  will  bring  us."  And 
that  revolution  led  her  to  the  scaffold  !  She  had  not  left 
the  Chateau  de  la  Muette  when  those  days,  rightly  called 
the  Days  of  Terror,  came  upon  France.  Madame  Chal- 
grin,  daughter  of  Joseph  Vernet,  and  an  intimate  friend 
of  Madame  Filleul  was  celebrating  in  the  chateau  her 
daughter's  marriage,  without  any  display  as  you  can  sup- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  ,^ 

pose.    Nevertheless,  the  day  after,  the  revolutionists  ^nme 
and  arrested  Madame  Filleul  and  Madame  Chalgrin,  who, 
they  said, had  "burnt  the  candles  of  the  nation,"  and  both 
were  guillotined  a  few  days  afterwards. 
I  will  now  finish  this  sad  letter. 


LETTER  III. 


My  Walks — The  Coliseum,  the  Summer  Vauxhall — Marly,  Sceaux — 
IVTy  Society  in  Paris — Le  Moine,  the  Sculptor — Gerbier  —  The 
Princesse  de  Rohan-Rochefort — The  Comtesse  de  Brionne — The 
Cardinal  de  Rohan — M.  de  RhuUievres — The  Due  de  Lauzun — I 
present  to  the  Academy  the  Portraits  of  Cardinal  de  Fleury  and  De 
la  Bruyere — D'Alembert's  Letter,  and  his  Visit  on  that  occasion. 


WILL  now  again  continue,  dear  friend,  the 
thread  of  my  narrative  in  what  I  call  old 
Paris,  the  Paris  of  my  youth,  for  this  city  has 


changed  since  then  in  every  way.  One  of  the  most  fre- 
quented promenades  was  the  Boulevard  du  Temple. 
Every  day,  but  especially  on  Thursdays,  hundreds  of 
carriages  passed  to  and  fro,  or  were  drawn  up  alongside 
alleys  where  are  now  cafes  and  shops.  The  young  horse- 
men used  to  caracole  around  them  as  at  Longchamps,  for 
Longchamps  existed  even  then. 

It  was  a  brilliant  scene,  crowded  with  people  admiring 
and  criticizing  the  well  dressed  women  and  beautiful  equi- 
pages. 

One  side  of  the  Boulevard  where  the  Cafe  Turc  now 
stands,  presented  a  sight  which  has  often  made  me  laugh 
heartily.  It  was  a  long  line  of  old  fish-women,  sitting 
gravely  on  chairs  with  their  cheeks  so  covered  with  rouge 

20 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


21 


that  they  looked  like  dolls.  As  at  that  time  only  women 
of  high  rank  could  use  rouge,  these  ladies  considered  they 
also  were  privileged  to  do  the  same  to  their  heart's  con- 
tent. One  of  our  friends  who  was  acquainted  with  several 
of  them,  told  us  that  they  played  loto  from  morning  till 
evening  when  indoors,  and  that  one  day  as  he  was  return- 
ing from  Versailles  one  of  them  asked  him  for  news ;  he 
replied  that  he  had  just  been  informed  that  M.  de  la 
Perouse  was  about  to  sail  round  the  world.  "  Really  !  " 
exclaimed  the  mistress  of  the  house,  that  man  must  have 
very  little  to  do  !  " 

Later  on,  some  time  after  my  marriage,  I  have  seen 
many  little  plays  on  this  boulevard.  The  only  one  which 
I  frequently  visited  and  which  amused  me  'extremely  was 
that  of  the  puppets  belonging  to  Carlo  Perico.  These 
creatures  were  so  well  made  and  moved  so  naturally  that 
people  were  sometimes  deceived  by  them.  My  daughter, 
when  about  six  years  old  and  who  went  with  me  to  see 
them  sometimes,  never  imagined  that  they  were  not  alive. 
When  I  had  told  her  the  contrary,  I  remember  taking  her 
a  few  days  after  to  the  Comedie  Frangaise  where  my  box 
was  some  way  from  the  play,  "And  those,  mamma,  are 
they  alive  ?  "  she  asked. 

The  Coliseum  was  a  promenade  much  in  vogue ;  it 
was  placed  in  one  of  the  great  squares  of  the  Champs 
Elysees,  in  an  immense  Rotunda.  In  the  centre  was  a 
lake,  filled  with  limpid  water,  on  which  were  held 
aquatic  sports.  You  walked  all  round  in  broad  pathways, 
sanded  over  and  -lined  with  seats.  When  it  was  dark 
everyone  left  the  garden,  and  adjourned  to  an  immense 


22 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


salon,  where  you  heard  every  evening  excellent  music  with 
a  good  orchestra.  Mademoiselle  Lemaure,  very  cele- 
brated, at  that  time,  sang  very  often  there,  as  well  as  many 
other  celebrated  singers.  The  broad  flight  of  steps  which 
led  to  this  concert  room  was  the  rendezvous  of  all  the 
young  Parisian  dandies,  who,  placing  themselves  beneath 
the  illuminated  doorways,  never  allowed  a  woman  to  pass 
without  some  epigram.  One  evening  as  I  was  descending 
the  steps  with  my  mother,  the  Due  de  Chartres,  (after- 
wards Philippe  Egalite)  was  standing  by,  arm  in  arm  with 
the  Marquis  de  Genlis,  the  companion  of  his  orgies,  and 
the  poor  women  who  passed  by  did  not  escape  from  their 
most  shameful  sarcasms.  "  Ah  !  as  for  this  one,"  said  the 
Duke  in  a  loifd  voice,  pointing  to  me,  "  there  is  nothing  to 
be  said  !  "  This  speech,  which  several  others  heard  as 
well  as  myself,  gave  me  so  much  satisfaction  that  even 
now  I  recall  it  with  a  feeling  of  pleasure. 

About  the  same  time  there  existed  on  the  Boulevard 
du  Temple  a  place  called  the  summer  Vauxhall,  of  which 
the  garden  was  composed  of  only  a  blank  space  destined 
for  walking,  and  around  which  were  covered  benches  for 
people  to  sit.  My  wretched  step-father,  worried  no  doubt 
by  the  admiration  received  by  my  mother  when  in  public, 
and,  if  I  dare  say  so,  from  that  which  I  created  also,  for- 
bade our  taking  any  promenades,  and  told  us  one  day  he 
was  going  to  take  a  country  house.  At  these  words  my 
heart  beat  with  joy,  for  T  was  passionately  fond  of  the 
country.  I  wished  to  go  there  all  the  more  because  I 
slept  nearly  at  the  foot  of  my  mother's  bed,  in  a  dark  cor- 
ner which  the  daylight  never  reached.    So  that  in  the 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  23 

morning,  no  matter  what  the  weather  .was  like,  my  first 
care  was  to  open  the  window  and  breathe,  so  much  did  I 
need  fresh  air. 

My  step-father  hired  a  little  bit  of  a  house  at  Chaillot, 
and  we  slept  there  on  Saturdays  and  returned  to  Paris  on 
Monday  morning.  Heavens  !  what  a  place  !  imagine  a 
very  tiny  garden  ;  no  trees  and  no  shade,  except  in  a  little 
arbour  where  my  father  had  planted  beans  and  runners 
which  never  grew  ;  and  we  had  not  the  whole  even  of 
this  charming  garden ;  it  was  divided  into  four  parts  by 
little  sticks,  and  the  three  others,  were  let  to  shop  boys 
who  used  to  spend  their  Sundays  in  firing  at  the  birds. 
This  perpetual  noise  made  me  feel  desperate,  besides  I 
was  dreadfully  afraid  of  being  killed  by  these  novices, 
they  fired  so  badly. 

I  could  not  understand  why  such  a  stupid  unpicturesque 
place  as  this  should  be  called  the  country ;  I  was  so  bored 
there  that  it  makes  me  yawn  to  write  about  it. 

At  last  my  guardian  angel  sent  to  my  deliverance  a 
friend  of  my  mother's,  Madame  Suzanne,  who  came  with 
her  husband  to  dine  at  Chaillot.  Both  took  pity  on  me 
and  made  me  take  some  delightful  excursions.  Unfor- 
tunately it  was  impossible  to  count  on  M.  Suzanne  every 
Sunday,  for  he  had  a  most  singular  malady  ;  out  of  every 
two  days  he  shut  himself  up  for  one  in  his  room,  and  saw 
no  one,  not  even  his  wife  ;  and  never  spoke  or  eat.  The 
next  day  it  is  true  he  was  all  right  again  and  resumed  his 
former  habits,  but  you  can  see  that  to  be  sure  of  getting 
him,  one  had  to  be  well  acquainted  with  the  intermittent 
state  of  his  health. 


24 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


We  went  first  to  Marly-le-Roi,  where  for  the  first  time  I 
saw  an  enchanting  abode.  On  each  side  of  the  chateau, 
v.'hich  was  superb,  were  six  pavillions,  joined  to  each  other 
by  bowers  of  jasmine  and  honeysuckle.  Cascades  came 
rushing  down  a  hill  at  the  back  of  the  chateau,  and  formed 
a  lake  on  which  were  stately  swans.  These  beautiful 
trees,  green  bowers,  basins  and  fountains,  one  of  which 
rose  to  such  a  height  that  it  was  lost  to  sight,  were  all 
grand  and  regal,  for  all  bespoke  Louis  XIV.  The  sight 
of  this  exquisite  place  made  such  an  impression  on  me, 
that  after  my  marriage  I  often  returned  to  Marly. 

It  was  there  that  I  met  one  morning  Queen  Marie  An- 
toinette, who  was  walking  in  the  park  with  several  of  her 
court  ladies.  All  were  in  white  dresses,  and  were  so 
young  and  pretty  that  they  looked  like  apparitions.  I  was 
with  my  mother,  and  we  were  retreating  from  them  when 
the  Queen  had  the  goodness  to  stop,  and  desired  me  to 
continue  my  promenade  wherever  I  pleased.  Alas  !  when 
I  returned  to  France  in  1802,  I  hastened  to  revisit  my 
noble  smiling  Marly.  The  palace,  trees,  cascades,  all  had 
disappeared ;  I  only  found  one  stone  left  which  seemed  to 
mark  the  centre  of  the  salon. 

M.  and  Madame  Suzanne  took  me  also  to  see  the  cha- 
teau and  park  of  Sceaux.  One  portion  of  this  park,  that 
which  was  near  the  chateau,  was  systematically  laid  out  in 
flower  beds  and  parterres,  filled  with  quantities  of  flowers, 
as  in  the  Tuileries  gardens,  the  other  was  left  to  itself ; 
but  a  magnificent  canal  and  beautiful  trees  made  it  far 
preferable  to  my  taste.  A  thing  which  proved  the  kind- 
ness of  the  lord  of  this  fine  domain,  was  that  the  park  was 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  2$ 

open  to  the  public  ;  the  excellent  Due  de  Penthievre  had 
always  desired  that  every  one  should  enter  there,  and  on 
Sundays  this  place  was  very  frequented. 

.1  found  it  very  hard  to  leave  these  lovely  gardens  and 
go  back  to  gloomy  Chaillot.  At  length,  winter  obliged  us 
to  return  for  good  to  Paris,  where  I  passed  thfe  time  very 
agreeably  when  my  work  allowed  it.  From  the  age  of 
sixteen  I  had  mixed  in  the  best  society,  and  knew  all  our 
first  artists,  so  that  I  received  invitations  from  all  quarters. 
I  remember  very  well  dining  the  first  time  in  Paris  with 
Le  Moine,  the  sculptor,  then  very  renowned.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  simplicity  ;  but  he  had  the  good  taste  to 
bring  together  at  his  house  a  number  of  celebrated  and 
distinguished  characters ;  his  two  daughters  did  the 
honours  perfectly.  It  was  there  I  met  the  famous  Le  Kain,* 
whose  fierce  sullen  looks  frightened  me  ;  his  enormous 
eyebrows  added  to  the  gloom  of  his  countenance.  He 
never  spoke,  but  eat  hugely.  By  his  side,  and  opposite  to 
me,  was  Madame  de  Bonneuil,f  the  prettiest  woman  in 
Paris,  mother  of  Madame  Regnault  St.  Jean  d'Angely;  she 
was  then  as  fresh  as  a  rose.  Her  sweet  looks  possessed 
such  a  charm  for  me  that  I  could  not  turn  away  my  eyes, 
all  the  more  because  she  was  seated  near  her  husband,  who 

*  Henri-Louis  Kain,  called  Lekain,  a  celebrated  tragedian,  born  in 
Paris,  April  I4tli,  1728,  and  died  in  that  city,  February  8th,  1778.  The 
manuscript  diary  of  Lekain's  representations  is  to  be  found  in  the 
Bibliotheque  Imperiale  at  Paris ;  his  memoirs  have  been  published  by 
his  son. 

f  Madame  Vigee  Le  Brun  made  three  portraits  of  Madame  Bon- 


26 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


resembled  an  ugly  monkey,  and  whose  face,  combined  with 
thai  of  Lekain,  formed  a  setting  of  which  she  had  no  need. 

It  was  at  Le  Moine's  that  I  knew  Gerbier,  the  lawyer  ; 
his  daughter  Madame  de  Boissy  *  was  very  beautiful  and 
was  one  of  the  first  women  whose  portrait  I  took.  Gretry 
and  Latour,'two  famous  pastel  painters,  often  assisted  at 
these  dinners;  we  laughed  and  amused  ourselves  well.  It 
was  the  custom  then  to  sing  at  dessert  :  Madame  de  Bon- 
neuil,  who  had  a  charming  voice,  sang  with  her  husband 
some  of  G retry 's  duets  ;  then  came  the  turn  of  all  the 
young  girls,  who  were  much  tortured  by  this  fashion,  for 
they  turned  pale  and  trembled  and  often  sang  false  in 
consequence.  Notwithstanding  which  little  disagreeables, 
the  dinner  ended  pleasantly,  and  we  always  left  with  regret, 
far  from  asking  for  our  carriages,  in  rising  from  the  table, 
as  is  done  nowadays. 

I  cannot  speak  much  of  the  great  dinners  though,  except 
by  hearsay,  seeing  that  shortly  after  the  time  of  which  I 
write,  I  ceased  to  dine  in  Paris  at  all.  The  daylight  was 
really  too  precious  for  me  to  give  its  hours  to  society,  and 
an  accident  which  happened  to  me,  decided  me  to  go  out 
only  in  the  evening.  I  had  accepted  a  dinner  with  the 
Princesse  de  Rohan-Rochefort  ;  I  was  dressed  and  ready 
to  step  into  a  carriage  when  I  thought  I  would  go  and  see 
a  portrait  which  I  had  begun  that  morning.  I  wore  a 
white  satin  dress  which  I  had  put  on  for  the  first  time,  and 
I  sat  down  on  a  chair  which  was  opposite  to  my  easel  with- 


*  It  was  in  1773  that  Madame  Vigee  Le  Brun  took  the  portraits  of 
Monsieur  and  Madame  Boissy. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


27 


out  noticing  that  my  palette  was  placed  upon  it  ;  you  may 
judge  that  I  made  my  dress  in  such  a  mess  that  I  was 
obliged  to  remain  at  home,  and  from  that  day  I  formed  a 
resolution  only  to  accept  suppers. 

The  dinners  of  the  Princesse  de  Rohan- Rochef or t  were 
charming.  The  nucleus  of  her  society  was  composed  of 
the  beautiful  Comtesse  de  Brionne  and  her  daughter,  the 
Princesse  de  Lorraine,  the  Due  de  Choiseuil,  Cardinal  de 
Rohan  and  M.  de  Rhullievres,  the  author  of  the  "  Dis- 
putes ;  "  but  the  most  agreeable  of  all  the  guests  was  with- 
out contradiction  the  Due  de  I.auzun ;  none  other  pos- 
sessed such  wit  and  humour,  he  charmed  everybody. 
Often  the  evening  was  spent  in  music,  and  I  sometimes 
sang  and  accompanied  myself  on  the  guitar.  We  had 
supper  at  half -past  ten,  and  were  never  more  than  ten  or 
twelve  at  table.  It  was  a  race  for  who  could  be  most 
gay  and  witty.  I  only  listened,  and  though  too  young  to 
fully  appreciate  the  charm  of  these  conversations,  they  dis- 
gusted me  with  many  others. 

I  have  often  told  you,  dear  friend,  that  my  life  as  a  young 
girl  was  unlike  that  of  most  people.  Not  only  did  my  tal- 
ent, small  as  it  appeared  to  me  in  contrast  to  the  great  mas- 
ters, make  me  sought  out  and  welcomed  in" every  salon;  but  I 
received  besides  some  marks  of  public  sympathy,  from  which 
I  frankly  avow  I  derived  much  satisfaction.  For  instance, 
I  had  made  from  the  engravings  of  the  time,  the  portraits 
of  Cardinal  Fleury  and  of  La  Bruyere.  I  presented  them 
to  the  Academic  Fran9aise,  which,  through  the  medium  of 
d'Alembert,  its  secretary,  sent  me  the  following  letter 
which  I  copy  here  and  which  I  have  carefully  preserved. 


28 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


"  Mademoiselle, 

"  The  Academic  Frangaise  has  received  with  much 
pleasure  the  charming  letter  which  you  have  written  to  them, 
and  the  fine  portraits  of  Fleury  and  of  La  Bruyere  which 
you  had  the  kindness  to  send  to  be  placed  in  the  Assembly 
Hall,  where  they  have  long  desired  to  see  them.  These 
two  portraits,  in  recalling  two  men  whose  names  are  cher- 
ished by  them,  will  also  bring  back.  Mademoiselle,  the 
remembrance  of  what  they  owe  to  you,  of  what  they  are 
proud  to  owe.  Moreover,  to  their  eyes  these  portraits  will 
be  a  lasting  memorial  of  your  rare  talents,  which  were 
known  to  them  by  pubHc  report,  and  which  are  heightened 
still  more  by  your  wit,  grace,  and  great  modesty. 

"  The  Company,  wishing  to  show  some  token  of  grati- 
tude in  return  for  your  kindness,  in  the  manner  most 
agreeable  to  yourself,  pray  you.  Mademoiselle,  to  be  good 
enough  to  accept  your  free  entry  to  all  their  public  as- 
semblies. That  is  what  they  decided  yesterday  in  the 
assembly  by  unanimous  deliberation,  which  was  at  once 
inscribed  in  the  Registers,  and  with  which  I  was  charged 
to  make  you  acquainted,  in  adding  their  sincere  thanks. 
This  commission  pleases  me  all  the  more,  because  it  gives 
me  an  opportunity  of  showing  you.  Mademoiselle,  the 
feelings  of  sincere  esteem  with  which  I  have  long  been 
imbued  for  your  talents  and  person,  and  which  I  share 
with  all  men  of  taste  and  honour. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  be.  Mademoiselle, 
Your  very  humble  and  obedient  servant, 

"  D'Alembert. 

"Paris,  August  lOth,  1775." 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  29 

The  presentation  of  these  two  portraits  to  the  Academy 
procured  for  me,  shortly  after,  a  visit  from  d'Alembert, 
a  Httle  man,  very  hard  and  cold,  but  exquisitely  polite. 
He  remained  for  some  time  and  explored  my  studio,  mak- 
ing several  flattering  speeches  all  the  while.  I  have  never 
forgotten  that,  after  he  had  left,  a  great  lady  who  hap- 
pened to  be  there  at  the  time,  asked  me  if  I  had  done 
those  portraits  of  La  Bruyere  and  of  Fleury  from  life. 
"  I  am  rather  too  young  for  that,"  I  replied,  laughing,  but 
very  glad,  for  the  lady's  sake,  that  the  Academician  had 
left. 

Adieu,  dear  friend ! 


LETTER  IV. 


My  Marriage — I  take  Pupils  ;  Madame  Benoist — I  give  up  this 
School — My  Portraits  and  how  I  drew  them — Seance  at  the  French 
Academy — My  Daughter — The  Duchesse  de  Mazarin — The  Am- 
bassadors of  Tippoo  Saib — Paintings  which  I  do  for  them — Din- 
ners which  they  give  me. 

EAR  friend,  my  step-father  having  retired  from 
business,  we  went  to  lodge  in  the  Hotel  Lu- 
bert.  Rue  de  Clery.  M.  Le  Brun  had  just 
bought  this  house,*  and  as  soon  as  we  were  settled,  I 
went  to  see  the  splendid  paintings  of  all  schools  with 
which  his  rooms  were  filled.  I  was  delighted  to  be  in  the 
vicinity  of  so  many  masterpieces.  M.  Le  Brun  very 
kindly  permitted  me  to  copy,  and  lent  me  for  that  pur- 
pose some  very  valuable  and  lovely  paintings.  I  owed, 
therefore,  my  best  lessons  to  him  ;  and  at  the  end  of  six 
months  he  made  me  an  offer  of  marriage.  I  was  not  at 
all  anxious  to  marry  him,  although  he  was  well  made,  and 
had  a  pleasant  face.  I  was  then  twenty  ;  I  had  no  anxie- 
ties for  my  future,  as  I  earned  a  good  deal  of  money,  so 


*  M.  Le  Brun  was  then  only  the  principal  tenant  ;  he  bought  it 
later  on. 

30 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  3 1 

that  I  did  not  feel  any  desire  to  be  married.  But  my 
mother,  who  fancied  M.  Le  Brun  was  very  rich,  never 
ceased  to  urge  me  not  to  refuse  such  an  advantageous 
parti,  I  at  length  consented  to  this  marriage,*  as  much 
from  the  longing  to  escape  living  with  my  step-father, 
whose  temper  grew  worse  with  every  day  he  was  inactive, 
as  from  anything  else.  So  little  was  I  inclined  to  renounce 
my  liberty  that  in  going  to  church  I  said  to  myself,  "  Shall 
I  say  '  yes  ? '  shall  I  say  *  no  ? '  "  Alas  !  I  said  "  yes," 
and  I  exchanged  my  old  troubles  for  other  troubles.  It 
was  not  because  M.  Le  Brun  was  a  bad  man  ;  his  disposi- 
tion was  a  great  mixture  of  sweetness  and  vivacity ;  he 
was  good-tempered  with  all — in  a  word,  he  was  very  ami- 
able ;  but  his  head-strong  passion  for  low  women,  added 
to  a  love  of  gambling,  brought  about  the  loss  of  his  for- 
tune and  mine,  which  he  entirely  disposed  of  in  such  a 
complete  manner,  that  when  I  left  France  in  1789  I  did 
not  possess  twenty  francs,  though  I  had  then  earned  over 
a  million.    He  had  dissipated  it  completely. 

My  marriage  was  kept  secret  for  some  tim.e.  M.  Le 
Brun  begged  me  not  to  declare  it  publicly,  as  he  ought  to 
have  espoused  the  daughter  of  a  Dutchman,  with  whom 
he  transacted  a  good  deal  of  business  concerning  his  paint- 
ings, «Sz:c.,  and  he  wished  it  kept  secret  till  his  business 


*  The  marriage  of  Mademoiselle  Elisabeth-Louise  Vigee,  daughter 
of  Louis  Vigee,  Painter  and  Member  of  the  Academy  of  St.  Luke.^ 
and  of  Madame  Jeanne  Maissin,  his  wife,  with  Jean-Baptiste-Pierre 
Le  Brun,  painter,  son  of  Pierre  Le  Brun  and  of  Fran9oise  Bouffe,  his 
wife,  was  celebrated  on  January  nth,  1776. 


32  SOUVENIRS  OF 

was  concluded.  I  consented  willingly,  for  I  regretted 
quitting  my  maiden  name,  under  which  I  was  very  well 
known  already  ;  but  this  secrecy  which  did  not  last  long, 
had,  nevertheless,  rather  a  bad  influence  on  my  future. 
Several  people  who  only  thought  I  was  intending  to  marry 
M.  Le  Brun,  came  to  see  me  to  try  and  dissuade  me  from 
doing  such  a  foolish  thing.  Now  it  was  Auber,  Court 
jeweller,  who  said,  with  an  air  of  friendliness  and  truth  : 
— "  You  would  do  better  to  fasten  a  stone  round  your  neck 
and  throw  yourself  into  the  river  than  to  marry  Le  Brun." 
Then  it  was  the  Duchesse  d'Arembourg,  accompanied 
by  Madame  de  Canillac  and  Madame  de  Souza,  wife  of 
the  Portuguese  Ambassador,  all  three  so  young  and  pretty, 
who  brought  me  their  tardy  advice,  when  I  had  been  al- 
ready married  a  fortnight.  "  For  Heaven's  sake  !  "  said 
the  Duchess,  "  don't  marry  M.  Le  Brun  ;  you  will  be  very 
unhappy."  Then  she  related  several  things  which  I 
luckily  did  not  quite  believe,  although  they  have  since 
been  confirmed  ;  but  my  mother,  who  was  there,  could 
hardly  restrain  her  tears.  At  length  the  declaration  of 
my  marriage  put  an  end  to  these  gloomy  forebodings, 
which,  thanks  to  my  beloved  painting,  had  not  depressed 
me  much.  I  could  not  paint  all  the  portraits  which  were 
demanded  of  me  on  every  side,  and  although  M.  Le  Brun 
took  upon  himself  to  appropriate  the  payments,  he  did  not 
hesitate  to  make  me  take  pupils  in  order  to  augment  our 
income.  I  consented  to  what  he  wished  without  reflect- 
ing on  it,  and  soon  there  appeared  several  young  ladies,  to 
whom  I  had  to  give  instructions  as  to  how  to  make  eyes 
and  noses,  which  I  was  always  compelled  to  retouch,  and 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  33 

thereby  lose  much  of  my  time  at  my  own  work,  a  very 
vexatious  proceeding. 

Among  my  pupils  was  a  Mademoiselle  Emilie  Roux  de 
la  Ville,  who  afterwards  married  M.  Benoist,  Director  of 
the  Public  Welfare,  and  for  whom  Demoustiers  wrote  the 
"  Letters  on  Mythology."  She  drew  heads  in  chalk,  and 
showed  much  talent,  which  gained  for  her  a  just  reputa- 
tion afterwards.  Mademoiselle  Emilie  was  the  youngest 
of  my  pupils.  They  were  mostly  older  than  myself  which 
detracted  from  the  respect  due  to  the  head  school-ipis- 
tress.  I  had  arranged  a  studio  for  these  demoiselles  in  a 
large  attic,  with  large  beams  running  across  it.  One  morn- 
ing I  went  upstairs  and  found  my  pupils  had  fastened  a 
rope  round  one  of  these  beams,  and  were  busy  swinging, 
as  well  as  they  could  manage  it.  I  put  on  a  dignified  air, 
grumbled,  and  made  a  long  speech  on  wasting  time  ;  after 
which  I  tried  the  swing,  and  had  as  much  fun  over  it  as 
the  others.  You  can  imagine  that,  with  such  lively  ways, 
it  was  difficult  for  me  to  impress  them  much,  and  this  cir- 
cumstance, added  to  the  bother  of  returning  to  the  A,  B, 
C  of  my  art  in  correcting  their  studies,  caused  me  to  re- 
nounce having  pupils  at  all. 

The  necessity  of  leaving  my  beloved  brushes  for  a  few 
hours  conduced  still  more,  I  beUeve,  to  my  fondness  for  my 
work.  I  never  left  my  painting  till  it  was  quite  dark,  and 
the  number  of  portraits  I  finished  at  that  time  was  simply 
prodigious.  As  I  had  a  great  dislike  to  the  costume  worn 
by  women  in  those  days,  I  endeavoured  to  render  it  more 
picturesque,  and  felt  enchanted  when  I  obtained  leave  to 
drape  my  models  as  I  pleased.    Shawls  were  not  worn 


34  SOUVENIRS  OF 

then,  but  I  arranged  large  scarfs  by  twining  them  lightly 
round  the  body  and  arms,  seeking  by  that  means  to  imi- 
tate the  draperies  of  Raffaelle  and  Domenichino,  which, 
perhaps,  you  have  noticed  in  my  Russian  pictures,  espe- 
cially in  the  one  of  my  daughter  playing  the  guitar.  An- 
other of  my  prejudices  was  powder.  I  persuaded  the 
lovely  Duchesse  de  Grammont-Caderoussenot  to  wear  any 
when  she  was  painted.*  Her  hair  was  as  black  as  night, 
and  I  parted  it  in  front  and  arranged  it  in  careless  locks, 
Ai\^r  my  s/ance,  which  finished  at  dinner-time,  the  Duch- 
ess did  not  alter  her  head-dress,  and  went  to  the  theatre 
without  altering  it.  Such  a  pretty  woman  setting  the 
fashion  caused  it  soon  to  become  popular  ;  which  reminds 
me  that  in  1786,  whilst  painting  the  Queen,  I  implored 
her  not  to  wear  powder  and  to  divide  her  hair  in  front. 
"  I  shall  be  the  last  to  follow  that  fashion,"  said  the  Queen, 
laughing,  I  do  not  wish  it  to  be  said  that  I  invented  it,  . 
in  order  to  hide  my  high  forehead." 

I  sought  as  much  as  I  possibly  could  to  give  to  the 
ladies  I  painted  the  expression  of  their  countenances. 
Those  that  had  none  in  particular,  I  painted  with  pensive 
looks,  leaning  nonchalantly  against  some  object.  I  be- 
lieve that  they  were  well  satisfied,  for  I  could  not  work 
fast  enough  to  satisfy  the  demand.  It  was  a  scramble  to 
be  placed  on  my  list.  In  a  word,  I  was  the  fashion. 
Everything  conspired  to  keep  me  there.  You  may  judge 
as  much  from  the  following  scene  which  has  always  left  a 
flattering  impression  on  my  mind  : — Shortly  after  my  mar- 


Madame  Vigee  Le  Brun  painted  this  portrait  in  1789. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


35 


riage,  I  attended  a  siance  of  the  Academie  Fran9ais  ; 
La  Harpe  *  was  reading  his  discourse  on  female  talent, 
and  when  he  came  to  these  verses,  where  the  praise  is  so 
exaggerated,  and  which  I  heard  for  the  first  time, 

* '  Le  Brun  de  la  beaute  le  peintre  et  le  modele, 
Moderne  Rosalba,  mais  plus  brillant  qu'elle, 
Joint  la  voix  de  Favart  au  sourir  de  Venus,  etc." 

the  author  of  "  Warwick  "  looked  at  me,  and  immediately 
the  whole  assembly,  without  e?:cepting  the  Duchesse  de 
Chartres  and  the  King  of  Sweden,  who  were  present, 
arose,  turned  towards  me,  and  gave  me  such  a  transport 
of  applause  that  I  felt  quite  overcome  for  the  time. 

These  personal  triumphs  of  which  I  have  informed  you, 
,  dear  friend,  because  you  desired  me  to  tell  you  every- 
thing, are  far  from  being  compared  with  the  joy  I  felt 
when,  after  two  years  of  marriage,  I  hoped  to  become  a 
mother.  But  here  you  will  see  how  my  extreme  love  for 
my  art  rendered  me  careless  as  to  the  small  details  of  life, 
for,  happy  as  I  felt,  I  let  the  time  pass  by  without  pre- 
paring anything  for  myself.  The  day  my  daughter  was 
born  I  never  quitted  my  studio,  and  worked  at  my  "  Venus 
tying  the  wings  of  Love,"  in  the  intervals  when  I  felt  no 
pain. 

Madame  de  Verdun,  my  oldest  friend,  came  to  see  me 
in  the  morning,  and  asked  me  if  I  was  provided  with  all 


*  Jean-Fran9ois  de  La  Harpe,  born  in  Paris,  1739,  died  in  that 
city,  February  nth,  1803.  He  was  son  of  Jean-Fran9ois  Delharpe 
and  of  Marie-Louise  Devienne. 


36 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


that  was  necessary,  as  she  knew  how  giddy  and  careless  I 
was.  I  answered  her,  with  much  surprise,  that  I  did  not 
know  what  was  necessary.  "  Just  Hke  you  ! "  she  answered, 
"  you  are  a  regular  tomboy.  I  am  certain  you  will  have 
your  trouble  to-night."  "  No  !  no  !  "  said  I,  "  I  have  a 
sitting  to-morrow.  I  will  not  be  ill  to-day."  Without 
replying,  Madame  de  Verdun  left  me  a  short  time  to  send 
for  a  doctor,  who  arrived  soon  after.  I  sent  him  away, 
but  he  remained,  unknown  to  me,  till  the  evening,  and  at 
ten  o'clock  my  daughter  was  born.  During  the  previous 
months  I  had  painted  the  Duchesse  de  Mazarin,  who  was 
no  longer  young,  but  still  retained  the  remains  of  great 
beauty  ;  my  daughter  had  her  eyes,  and  was  very  like  her. 
This  Duchesse  de  Mazarin  it  was  who  was  said  to  have 
been  endowed  at  her  birth  by  three  fairies  ;  one  with 
Riches,  one  with  Beauty,  and  one  with  Ill-luck.  It  is  very 
true  that  the  poor  woman  could  not  undertake  a  single 
thing,  even  a  /e^e^  without  some  accident  happening. 
Many  are  the  stories  told  of  various  disasters  which  befell 
her.  Here  is  one  which  is  not  so  well  known  : — One 
evening  she  gave  a  supper-party  to  sixty  people,  and 
thought  she  would  have  an  enormous  pie  made,  in  which 
about  a  hundred  little  live  birds  were  imprisoned.  On 
a  sign  from  the  Duchess,  the  pie  was  opened,  and  there 
burst  forth  all  these  terrified  creatures,  who  flew  into  the 
faces  and  hair  of  the  ladies  present  much  to  their  dismay. 
You  can  imagine  the  uproar  and  screams.  They  could 
not  get  rid  of  these  unfortunate  birds,  and  at  last  were 
forced  to  leave  the  table,  grumbling  at  such  a  foolish  joke. 
The  Duchesse  de  Mazarin  having  become  excessively  stout, 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


37 


it  took  a  long  time  to  lace  her  stays.  Some  one  paid  her 
a  visit  one  day  whilst  she  was  being  laced  up,  and  one  of 
her  waiting-maids  ran  to  the  door,  saying,  "  Don't  come 
in  till  we  have  arranged  the  flesh."  I  remember  that  this 
great  size  excited  much  admiration  from  the  Turkish  Am- 
bassadors. When  they  were  asked  at  the  Opera  which 
woman  pleased  them  best  of  all  they  had  seen,  they  replied 
immediately  the  Duchesse  de  Mazarin,  because  she  was 
the  fattest. 

Since  I  am  writing  about  Ambassadors,  I  will  not  omit 
to  tell  you  how  I  painted  two  diplomatists  in  my  life  who, 
though  copper-coloured,  had,  none  the  less,  splendid 
heads.  In  1788,  some  Ambassadors  were  sent  to  Paris 
by  the  Sultan  Tippoo  Saib.*  I  saw  these  Indians  at  the 
Opera,  and  they  appeared  to  me  to  be  so  remarkably  pic- 
turesque that  I  wished  to  paint  their  portraits.  *  Having 
made  their  interpreter  acquainted  with  my  desire,  I  was 
informed  they  would  never  consent  to  be  portrayed  un- 
less the  demand  came  from  the  King.  Therefore  I  ob- 
tained this  favour  of  His  Majesty.  I  went  to  the  hotel 
which  they  inhabited ;  for  they  wished  to  be  painted  there, 
on  large  canvas  and  in  colours.  When  I  arrived  in  their 
salo7i  one  of  them  arose,  brought  some  rose-water  and 

■  *  Tippoo  Saib,  Sultan  of  Mysore,  born  in  1749,  shot  on  the  4th  of 
May,  1799,  at  Seringapatam,  by  an  English  soldier.  He  sent  an 
Embassy  to  France  in  1787,  charged  with  the  task  of  concluding  an 
alliance  with  King  Louis  XVI.,  begging  for  his  aid  against  the  Eng- 
lish, who  he  wished  to  drive  out  of  India.  The  Mission  not  suc- 
ceeding, Tippoo  Saib  revenged  himself  on  his  ambassadors,  by  caus- 
ing their  heads  to  be  cut  off  shortly  after  their  return  to  Mysore. 


38 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


threw  it  over  my  hands,  and  then  the  grandest  one  gave  me 
a  sitting.  I  took  him  standing,  holding  his  poignard.  The 
draperies,  hands,  all  were  taken  from  life.  He  stood 
with  such  satisfaction  and  pleasure  !  I  let  the  painting 
dry  in  another  room,  and  I  commenced  the  portrait  of  the 
old  Ambassador,  whom  I  represented  seated,  with  his  son 
near  him.  The  father  had  a  superb  head.  Both  were 
dressed  in  white  muslin,  worked  with  gold  flowers,  and 
these  robes,  which  are  like  tunics  with  large  turned-back 
sleeves,  were  fastened  with  rich  girdles.  I  finished  the 
paintings  on  the  spot,  with  the  exception  of  some  portions 
of  the  dress. 

Madame  de  Bonneuil,  to  whom  I  had  spoken  about 
my  sittings,  had  a  strong  desire  to  see  these  Ambassadors. 
They  invited  us  both  to  dinner,  and  we  accepted,  out  of 
sheer  cuHosity.-  On  entering  the  room,  we  were  rather 
surprised  to  find  the  dinner  served  on  the  ground,  which 
obliged  us  to  sit,  or  rather  lie  down,  round  the  table. 
They  helped  us  with  their  hands  from  the  different  dishes. 
One  contained  a  fricassde  of  sheep's  trotters,  with  strongly- 
spiced  white  sauce,  and  the  other  I  know  not  what  kind 
of  stew.  We  made  a  sorry  repast,  as  you  can  imagine. 
It  was  very  repulsive  to  see  them  employing  their  bronze 
hands  instead  of  spoons. 

These  Ambassadors  had  brought  with  them  a  young 
man  who  spoke  a  little  French.  Madame  de  Bonneuil 
taught  him  to  sing  "  Annette  a  I'age  de  quinze  ans  "  dur- 
ing my  seances.  When  we  went  to  make  our  adieux  this 
young  man  sang  us  his  song,  and  expressed  his  regret  at 
leaving  us  by  saying,  "  Ah  !   how  my  heart  weeps  ! " 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  39 

which  I  considered  was  very  Oriental  and  very  appro- 
priate. 

When  the  portrait  of  Davich  Khan  was  dry,  I  sent  for  it 
to  be  fetched  away,  but  he  had  hidden  it  behind  his  bed, 
and  would  not  give  it  up,  pretending  that  the  painting 
wanted  a  soul.  I  could  only  obtain  my  portrait  by  a  little 
ruse,  and  when  the  Ambassador  found  it  was  missing,  he 
became  much  enraged  with  his  valet,  whom  he  wanted  to 
kill,  and  the  interpreter  had  all  the  trouble  in  the  world  to 
make  him  understand  that  in  Paris  it  was  not  the  custom 
to  kill  valets.  Finally,  he  had  to  tell  him  that  the  King 
of  France  desired  the  portrait.  These  two  paintings 
were  exhibited  in  the  salon  of  1789.  After  the  death  of 
M.  Le  Brun,  who  had  appropriated  all  my  works,  they 
were  sold,  and  I  know  not  who  possesses  them  now. 

Adieu,  my  dear,  kind  friend. 


LETTER  V. 

The  Queen — My  sittings  at  Versailles — Different  portraits  made  by 
me  of  her — Her  Kindness — Louis  XVI — Last  Court-ball  at  Ver- 
sailles— Madame  Elizabeth — Monsieur,  the  King's  Brother — Prin- 
cesse  de  Lamballe. 

T  was  in  the  year  1779,  my  dear  friend,  that  I 
took  the  Queen's  likeness  for  the  first  time  ; 
she  was  then  in  all  the  brilliancy  of  her  youth 
and  beauty.  Marie  Antoinette  was  tall,  admirably  pro- 
portioned, plump,  without  being  too  much  so  ;  her  arms 
were  lovely,  she  had  small  and  perfectly  shaped  hands 
and  charming  little  feet.  She  walked  better  than  any 
woman  in  France  ;  holding  her  head  very  upright,  with 
a  majesty  which  denoted  the  Sovereign  in  the  midst 
of  her  court,  without  this  majestic  bearing  detracting  in  the 
least  from  the  sweetness  and  grace  of  her  whole  aspect. 
In  short,  it  is  very  difficult  to  give  any  idea  to  those  who 
have  not  seen  fiie  Queen,  how  very  elegant  and  beautiful 
she  was.  Her  features  were  not  at  all  regular  ;  she  in- 
herited the  long  narrow  oval  peculiar  to  the  Austrian 
nation.  Her  eyes  were  not  large,  and  were  almost  blue  in 
colour  ;  her  expression  was  clear  and  very  soft,  her  nose 
was  thin  and  pretty,  and  her  mouth  was  not  large,  although 
the  lips  were  rather  thick.    The  most  remarkable  thing 

40 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


41 


about  her  face  was  the  brilliancy  of  her  complexion,  I 
never  saw  anything  like  it,  and  brilliant  is  the  only  word 
to  express  what  it  was  ;  for  her  skin  was  so  transparent 
that  it  allowed  of  no  shadow,  I  never  could  obtain  the 
effect  as  I  wished  ;  paints  failed  to  depict  the  freshness, 
the  delicate  tints  of  that  charming  face  which  I  never 
beheld  in  any  other  woman. 

At  first  the  imposing  air  of  the  Queen  intimidated  me 
extremely,  but  Her  Majesty  spoke  to  me  with  so  much 
goodness  that  her  kind  manner  soon  dissipated  this  im- 
pression. It  was  then  I  made  the  portrait  which  repre- 
sents her  with  a  large  panier,  dressed  in  a  satin  robe,  hold- 
ing a  rose.  This  picture  was  destined  for  her  brother, 
the  Emperor  Joseph  II.,  and  the  Queen  ordered  two  cop- 
ies of  it ;  one  for  the  Empress  of  Russia,  the  other  for  her 
apartments  at  Versailles  or  Fontainebleau, 

I  made  successfully,  at  various  times,  several  other  por- 
traits of  the  Queen,  I  do  not  know  for  which  La  Harpe 
composed  the  following  verses  : 

QUATRAIN  POUR  LE  PORTRAIT  DE  LA  REINE. 

*  *  Le  ciel  mit  dans  ses  traits  cet  eclat  qu'on  admire  ; 
France,  il  la  couronna  pour  ta  felicite  : 
Un  sceptre  est  inutile  avec  tant  de  beaute  ; 
Mais  a  tant  de  vertus  il  fallait  un  empire." 

» 

In  one  portrait  I  only  did  her  to  the  knees,  with  an 
orange-coloured  dress,  seated  before  a  table  on  which  she 
was  arranging  flowers  in  a  vase.  As  may  be  well  believed, 
I  preferred  greatly  to  paint  her  without  full  toilette,  and 


42 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


above  all  without  a  large  panier.  These  portraits  were 
given  to  her  friends  or  ambassadors..  Amongst  them  was 
one  in  which  she  was  represented  dressed  in  a  white  mus- 
lin dress,  with  the  sleeves  folded  back,  but  carefully  ar- 
ranged all  the  same  ;  when  this  was  exhibited  in  the  salon^ 
wicked  people  did  not  fail  to  say  that  the  Queen  had  been 
painted  in  her  chemise  ;  for  it  was  in  1786,  and  already 
calumnious  reports,  began  to  be  circulated  about  her. 

Nevertheless,  this  portrait  had  a  great  success.  To- 
wards the  end  of  the  exhibition  a  little  play  was  got  up  at 
the  Vaudeville,  which  was  called,  I  believe,  "The  Re- 
union of  Art."  Brougniart,  the  architect,  and  his  wife, 
who  had  been  taken  into  the  confidence  of  the  author,  en- 
gaged a  box  the  day  of  the  first  representation  and  took 
me  to  the  play.  Having  no  idea  of  the  surprise  being  pre- 
pared for  me,  my  feelings  may  be  imagined  when  I  beheld 
this  painting  arrive,  and  saw  the  actress  who  acted  the 
part  copy  me  in  a  most  wonderful  manner  painting  the 
Queen's  portrait.  At  the  same  time  everyone  arose  from 
the  boxes  and  stalls,  and  turned  towards  me  with  vehement 
applause.  I  do  not  believe  it  was  possible  for  any  human 
being  to  be  more  deeply  touched  and  gratified  than  I  was 
that  evening. 

The  timidity  which  the  first  sight  of  the  Queen  inspired 
entirely  ceased,  owing  to  the  gracious  kindness  she  always 
showed  me.  As  soon  as  Her  Majesty  heard  I  had  a  pretty 
voice,  she  rarely  gave  me  a  sitting  without  making  me  sing 
with  her  several  of  Gretry's  duets,  for  she  was  very  fond 
of  music,  although  her  voice  was  not  always  in  tune.  As 
for  her  demeanour,  it  would  be  difficult  to  describe  its  af- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  43 

fability  and  charm.  I  do  not  believe  that  Queen  Marie 
Antoinette  ever  allowed  an  occasion  to  pass  by  without 
saying  an  agreeable  thing  to  those  who  had  the  honour  of 
approaching  her,  and  the  kindness  which  she  always 
showed  me  is  one  of  my  most  delightful  souvenirs. 

One  day  it  so  happened  that  I  failed  to  appear  at  the 
time  appointed  for  my  sitting,  because,  owing  to  my  health 
being  very  delicate  at  the  time,  I  was  taken  suddenly 
ill.*  I  hastened  the  next  day  to  Versailles  to  make  my  ex- 
cuses. The  Queen  had  not  expected  me,  and  was  going 
out  driving  in  her  carriage,  which  was  the  first  thing  I  per- 
ceived on  entering  the  courtyard  of  the  chateau.  All  the 
same  I  went  up  and  spoke  to  the  gentlemen-in-waiting. 
One  of  them,  M.  Campan,t  received  me  very  stiffly,  and 
said  angrily,  in  his  stentorian  voice  :  "  It  was  yesterday, 
Madame,  that  Her  Majesty  expected  you,  and,  of  course, 
she  is  going  driving,  and,  of  course,  she  will  not  give  you  a 
sitting."  On  my  saying  that  I  came  merely  to  take  Her 
Majesty's  orders  for  another  day,  he  went  to  find  the 
Queen,  who  immediately  sent  for  me  into  her  cabinet. 
She  was  finishing  her  toilette ;  and  held  a  book  from 
which  she  was  teaching  her  daughter,  the  young  Madame. 
My  heart  beat  fast,  for  I  felt  nervous,  knowing  I  had  been 
in  the  wrong.    The  Queen  turned  and  said  kindly,  "I 


*  Madame  Vigee  Le  Brun  had  a  second  daughter  soon  after,  who 
died  in  her  infancy. 

f  M.  Campan  was  always  talking  of  the  Queen.  One  day  he  dined 
with  me,  and  my  daughter,  then  seven  years  old,  whispered  to  me, 
"  Mamma,  is  this  gentleman  the  King?" — Ed. 


44 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


waited  for  you  all  yesterday  morning;  what  happened  to 
you  ?  "  "  Alas  !  Madame,"  I  replied,  "  I  was  so  ill  that  I 
was  unable  to  attend  Your  Majesty's  commands.  I  come 
to-day  to  receive  them  and  will  leave  directly."  "  No  ! 
no  !  do  not  leave,"  she  rejoined,  "  I  will  not  let  you  have 
your  journey  for  nothing."  She  countermanded  her  car- 
riage and  gave  me  a  sitting.  I  recollect  that  in  my  anx- 
iety to  make  amends  for  her  goodness,  I  seized  my  box 
of  colours  with  such  haste  that  I  upset  them  all ;  my 
brushes  and  paints  fell  on  the  pai-quet^  and  I  stooped  down 
to  collect  them.  Let  them  alone,  let  them  alone,"  said 
the  Queen,  "  you  are  not  in  a  condition  to  stoop  ;  "  and 
not  heeding  what  I  said,  she  bent  down  and  picked  every- 
thing up  herself. 

At  the  time  of  the  last  journey  to  Fontainebleau,  as  the 
Court,  according  to  custom,  had  to  be  in  full  dress,  I  went 
there  to  behold  the  sight.  The  Queen  was  very  magnifi- 
cent, covered  with  diamonds,  and  as  there  was  a  bright 
sun  to  light  her  up,  she  appeared  really  dazzling.  Her 
head  being  so  beautifully  set  on  her  shoulders,  gave  her, 
when  walking,  such  an  imposing  and  majestic  air  that  she 
might  have  been  a  goddess  surrounded  by  her  nymphs. 
During  the  first  sitting  I  had  with  her,  after  her  return 
from  this  journey,  I  mentioned  what  an  impression  the 
sight  had  had  on  me,  and  told  the  Queen  how  much  the 
manner  she  had  of  holding  her  head  added  to  the  dignity 
of  her  carriage  ;  she  answered  in  a  laughing  way  :  "  If  I 
were  not  Queen  they  would  say  I  looked  insolent  ;  is  it 
not  so  ? " 

The  Queen  never  neglected  an  opportunity  of  teaching 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  45 

her  children  these  gracious  and  affable  manners  which  en- 
deared her  to  all  who  had  to  do  with  her.  I  have  seen 
her  making  Madame,  then  six  years  old,  dine  with  a 
little  peasant  girl  whom  she  protected,  serving  her  first, 
and  saying  to  her  daughter :  "  You  must  do  her  the 
honours." 

The  last  sitting  I  had  from  Her  Majesty  was  at  the 
Trianon,  where  I  painted  her  head  for  the  large  picture  in 
which  I  represented  her  with  her  children. 

I  remember  the  Baron  de  Breteuil,  then  Minister,  was 
present  the  whole  time,  and  never  once  ceased  from  speak- 
ing against  all  the  Court  ladies.  He  must  have  imagined 
I  was  deaf,  or  else  peculiarly  amiable,  not  to  fear  lest  I 
should  retail  some  of  his  ill-natured  anecdotes  to  those 
most  concerned  in  them.  The  truth  is,  I  never  repeated 
one,  although  I  have  not  forgotten  them  at  all. 

After  having  finished  the  Queen's  head,  as  well  as  sepa- 
rate studies  for  the  first  Dauphin,  Madame  Royal e  and  the 
Due  de  Normandie,  I  busied  myself  about  my  picture 
for  I  considered  it  of  great  importance,  and  I  finished  it 
for  the  salon  of  1788.  The  frame  having  been  taken  there 
by  itself,  was  sufficient  to  cause  numerous  evil  speeches. 
"  Voila  le  deficit : "  they  said  ;  and  many  other  things 
were  told  to  me,  showing  me  that  I  should  have  some 
harsh  criticisms.  At  last,  I  sent  my  painting,  but  I  had 
not  courage  to  follow  it  and  know  my  fate,  so  much  did  I 
dread  it  would  meet  with  a  bad  reception  from  the  public. 
My  fear  was  so  great  that  it  made  me  feverish ;  I  shut  my- 
self in  my  room,  and  was  there  praying  God  for  the  suc- 
cess of  my  Royal  Family,  when  my  brother  and  \  crowd  of 


46 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


friends  came  to  tell  me  I  had  obtained  universal  approba- 
tion. 

After  the  salon  the  King  had  the  picture  taken  to  Ver- 
sailles. It  was  M.  d'Angevilliers,  then  Minister  of  Arts 
and  Director  of  the  Royal  Establishment  who  presented 
me  to  His  Majesty.  Louis  XVI.  had  the  goodness  to  talk 
some  time  with  me,  and  to  say  he  was  much  pleased.  * 
Then  he  added,  again  looking  at  my  work  :  "  I  do  not  un- 
derstand much  about  painting,  but  you  make  me  love  it." 

My  picture  was  placed  in  one  of  the  saloons  of  the 
Chateau  of  Versailles,  and  the  Queen  always  passed  it  in 
going  and  returning  from  mass.  After  the  death  of  the 
Dauphin,  the  beginning  of  1789,  the  sight  of  it  recalled  so 
vividly  her  sad  loss  that  she  could  no  longer  traverse  this 
saloon  without  weeping.  She  told  M.  d'Angevilliers  to 
have  the  painting  removed  ;  but  with  her  habitual  kind- 
ness had  me  at  once  informed  of  her  reason  for  so  doing. 
It  is  to  this  sensitiveness  on  the  Queen's  part  that  I  owe 
the  preservation  of  my  work  ;  for  the  bandits  and  fish- 
women,  who  came  shortly  after  to  seek  their  Majesties  at 
Versailles,  would  have  certainly  pierced  it  through  and 
through,  as  they  did  the  Queen's  bed. 

I  never  had  the  good  fortune  to  see  Marie  Antoinette 
again,  after  the  last  ball  at  Versailles  ;  this  ball  was  given 
in  the  theatre  saloon,  and  the  box  where  I  was  seated  was 
near  that  of  the  Queen,  so  that  I  could  hear  what  she 
said.  I  thought  her  very  agitated,  inviting  some  of  the 
young  men  about  the  court,  such  as  M.  de  Lameth,  to 
dance  with  her,  (his  family  had  been  treated  with  much 
favour  by  the  Queen),  and  others  also,  who  all  refused  ;  so 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  47 

that  several  of  the  quadrilles  and  dances  could  not  be  ar- 
ranged at  all.  The  behaviour  of  these  gentlemen  struck 
me  as  being  most  unbecoming  ;  I  do  not  know  why,  but 
their  refusal  seemed  to  me  to  be  a  kind  of  evil  omen,  a 
prelude  to  graver  ills.  The  revolution  was  very  near  ;  it 
broke  out  the  next  year. 

With  the  exception  of  Monsieur  le  Comte  d'Artois,  I 
painted  all  the  Royal  family  in  succession  ;  the  children 
of  France  ;  Monsieur,  brother  of  the  King,  afterwards 
Louis  XVIII.  ;  Madame,  Madame  la  Comtesse  d'Artois, 
and  Madame  Elizabeth.  The  features  of  the  latter  were 
not  at  all  regular,  but  her  face  expressed  a  sweet  disposition, 
and  her  complexion  was  wonderfully  fresh  ;  she  possessed 
the  charm  of  a  pretty  milkmaid.  You  must  not  forget, 
dear  friend,  that  Madame  Elizabeth  was  an  angel  of  good- 
ness. How  often  have  I  seen  her  succouring  the  poor 
and  afflicted  !  Her  heart  was  filled  with  kindness  ;  indul- 
gent, modest,  sensible  and  devoted,  the  revolution  showed 
how  heroic  she  was.  We  saw  her,  that  lovely  princess, 
walk  in  front  of  the  cannibals  who  came  to  assas^ate  the 
Queen,  saying,  "  They  will  take  me  for  her !  " 

The  portrait  I  made  of  Monsieur  gave  me  an  oppor- 
tunity of  knowing  a  prince  whose  wit  and  culture  one 
could  praise  without  flattery  ;  it  was  impossible  not  to  be 
pleased  with  the  conversational  powers  of  Louis  XVIII., 
he  spoke  on  all  subjects  with  taste  and  knowledge.  Oc- 
casionally, though,  he  used  to  sing  to  me,  during  our  sit- 
tings, to  vary  them  no  doubt,  some  songs  which  were  not 
immoral  exactly,  but  so  vulgar  that  I  could  not  imagine 
how  such  rubbish  ever  reached  the  Court.    His  voice  was 


4B  SOUVENIRS  OF 

never  in  tune.  "  How  do  you  think  I  sing,  Madame  Le 
Brun  ?  "  he  asked  one  day.  Like  a  prince,  Monseig- 
neur,"  I  replied. 

The  Marquis  de'  Montesquiou,  equerry  to  Monsieur, 
sent  a  handsome  carriage  and  six  horses  to  take  me  to 
Versailles  and  back  with  my  mother,  whom  I  begged  to 
accompany  me.  All  the  way,  people  ran  to  their  windows 
to  see  me  pass,  and  took  off  their  hats  to  me ;  I  laughed 
at^the  homage  and  respect  paid  to  the  six  horses  and  out- 
rider ;  for  back  in  Paris  I  drove  about  in  flys,  and  no  one 
thought  of  looking  at  me  then. 

Monsieur  was  then  what  is  called  a  liberal,  in  the  mod- 
erate sense  of  the  word  ;  he  and  his  followers  formed  a 
distinct  party  from  the  King's.  So  that  I  was  not  at  all  sur- 
prised to  see,  during  the  Revolution,  that  the  Marquis  de 
Montesquiou  was  appointed  General-in-Command  of  the 
Republican  forces  in  Savoy.  I  then  recalled  the  strange 
conversations  he  had  held  before  me,  not  to  mention  the 
tales  which  he  openly  related  agajnst  the  Queen  and  those 
who  lo^ed  her ;  as  for  Monsieur,  the  newspapers  told  us 
how  he  went  to  the  National  Assembly  and  said,  he  did 
not  come  to  sit  there  as  a  prince,  but  as  d  citizen.  I  do 
not  believe  though  that  that  declaration  would  have  suf- 
ficed to  save  his  head,  and  he  did  well  to  leave  France 
shortly  afterwards. 

At  the  same  time  I  painted  the  Princesse  de  Lamballe. 
Without  being  pretty,  she  looked  so  at  a  little  distance  ; 
she  had  small"  features,  a  brilliant  complexion,  splendid 
blonde  hair,  and  an  elegant  figure.  The  horrible  fate  of 
this  unfortunate  Princess  is  well  known,  as  well  as  the 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  49 

devotion  to  which  she  fell  a  victim,  for  in  1793  she  was 
safe  from  all  danger  at  Turin,  when  she  returned  to  France 
on  hearing  of  the  danger  the  Queen  was  in. 

There  !  I  am  a  long  way  from  1779,  dear  friend  ;  but 
I  preferred  relating  to  you  in  one  letter  the  dealings  I 
had  as  artist  with  all  these  great  people,  of  whom  to-day 
none  are  left  but  the  Count  d'Artois,  Charles  X.,  and  the 
unfortunate  daughter  of  Marie  Antoinette. 
3 


LETTER  VI. 

Vcyage  to  Flanders — Brussels — Prince  de  Ligne — The  painting  of 
the  Hotel  de  Ville,  Amsterdam,  by  Wanols — My  reception  at  the 
Royal  Academy  of  Painting — My  Lodging — Society — My  Concerts 
— Garat — Asevedo  — Madame  Todi  —  Viotti  —  Maestrino  —  Prince 
Henry  of  Prussia — Salentin — Hulmandel — Cramer — My  suppers — 
I  act  in  Society — Our  Actors. 

EAR  friend,  in  1782  M.  Le  Brun  took  me  to 
Flanders,  where  he  had  some  business  to 
transact.  There  was  then  a  sale  at  Brussels 
of  the  splendid  collection  of  paintings  of  Prince  Charles, 
and  we  went  to  see  the  exhibition.  I  met  several  of  the 
court  ladies  there  who  greeted  me  most  kindly,  amongst 
them  the  Princess  d'Aremberg  whom  I  had  seen  in  Paris  ; 
but  the  meeting  which  pleased  me  most  was  with  the 
Prince  de  Ligne,*  whom  I  did  not  know  before,  and  who 
has  left,  I  may  say,  an  historical  reputation  behind  him 

*  Charles-Joseph,  Prince  de  Ligne,  Austrian  General  and  French 
litterateur,  was  bom  at  Brussels  in  1735,  and  died  at  Vienna  in  1814. 
He  was  a  son  of  Prince  Claude  Lamoral  de  Ligne  and  Elizabeth  de 
Salm-Salm.  The  Prince  de  Ligne  left  many  printed  and  manuscript 
works.  Madame  de  Stael  said  of  the  Prince  de  Ligne  :  "  He  is  the 
only  foreigner  who,  in  French  manners,  has  become  a  model  instead 
of  being  an  imitator." 

50 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  5 1 

for  wit  and  amiability.  He  invited  us  to  see  his  gallery, 
where  I  admired  several  master-pieces,  principally  por- 
traits by  Vandyck  and  heads  by  Rubens,  for  he  had  few 
Italian  paintings.  I  remember  his  taking  us  to  see  his 
beautiful  seat  at  Bel-oeil ;  we  ascended  a  belvedere,  built 
on  the  top  of  a  hill  which  commanded  a  view  over  all  his 
property  and  the  country  round.  The  delicious  air  and 
lovely  view  were  most  enchanting  ;  but  everything  was 
eclipsed  in  this  charming  place  by  the  greeting  and  bear- 
ing of  the  master  of  the  house,  who  for  elegance  of  mind 
and  manners  has  never  had  an  equal. 

The  city  of  Brussels  at  that  period  was  rich  and  ani- 
mated. In  the  best  society,  for  instance,  people  were  so 
engrossed  by  pleasure  that  several  friends  of  the  Prince 
de  Ligne  left  Brussels  sometimes  after  their  breakfast,  ar- 
rived at  the  opera  in  Paris  just  in  time  to  see  the  curtain 
rise,  and  when  the  play  was  over  returned  to  Brussels, 
travelling  hard  all  night ;  that  was  considered  being  fond 
of  the  opera. 

We  left  Brussels  for  Holland  and  the  North.  Sardam 
and  Mars  pleased  me  extremely  ;  these  two  little  towns 
are  so  clean  and  well  kept  that  I  envied  the  inhabitants. 
The  streets  were  very  narrow,  and  being  bordered  by 
canals,  carriages  were  not  used,  but  people  went  on  horse- 
back, and  employed  little  barques  for  the  transport  of 
merchandise.  The  houses,  which  were  very  low,  had  two 
doors  ;  one  for  birth,  and  one  for  death,  which  was  only 
.used  for  coffins.  The  roofs  of  these  houses  were  as  shin- 
ing as  though  they  were  made  of  steel.  The  women  in 
this  part  of  Holland  are  very  pretty,  but  very  shy ;  the 


52 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


sight  of  a  stranger  made  them  fly.  They  were  like  that 
in  those  days ;  I  suppose  though  that  having  French 
people  sojourning  in  their  country  has  made  them  less 
timid  since. 

We  finished  by  visiting  Amsterdam,  and  there  I  saw  at 
the  Hotel  de  Ville  the  wonderful  painting  by  Wanols, 
representing  the  Burgomasters  Assembled.  I  do  not  be- 
lieve there  exists  any  painting  more  life-like  or  finer  of  its 
kind ;  it  is  so  true  to  nature.  The  burgomasters  are 
dressed  in  black  :  their  heads,  hands  and  draperies  are 
wonderfully  painted.  The  impression  made  on  me  by 
this  painting  is  so  vivid  that  I  seem  to  see  it  even  now. 

We  returned  to  Flanders  to  see  the  master-pieces  of 
Rubens  again.  They  were  better  placed  then  than  they 
have  been  since  in  the  Museum  at  Paris,  for  their  effect  in 
the  old  Flemish  churches  was  beautiful.  Other  paintings 
by  the  same  master  adorned  the  amateurs'  gallery  ;  at 
Antwerp  I  discovered  in  a  private  collection  the  famous 
"Straw  Hat"  which  was  recently  sold  to  an  Englishman 
for  a  considerable  sum  of  money.  This  wonderful  paint- 
ing represents  one  of  Rubens's  wives  ;  its  principal  effect 
consists  in  the  different  lights  given  by  the  sun,  daylight 
and  the  sun's  rays.  Perhaps  only  a  painter  can  judge  of 
its  merits  and  wonderful  execution.  I  was  enchanted 
with  this  picture,  and  when  I  returned  to  Brussels  I  made 
a  portrait  of  myself,  and  endeavoured  to  obtain  the  same 
effect.  I  wore  on  my  head  a  straw  hat,  a  feather  and  a 
garland  of  field  flowers,  and  held  in  my  hand  a  palette. 
AVhen  the  portrait  was  exhibited  in  the  salo7i^  I  may  say 
that  it  added  a  good  deal  to  my  previous  reputation.  The 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  53 

celebrated  Muller  engraved  it ;  but  the  dark  shadows  of 
an  engraving  take  away  from  the  effect  of  such  a  painting. 

Shortly  after  my  return  from  Flanders  in  1783,  the 
portrait  I  have  just  told  you  about  and  several  other  of 
my  works  decided  Joseph  Vernet  to  propose  me  as  a 
member  of  the  Royal  Academy  of  Painting.  M.  Pierre, 
then  chief  painter  to  the  King,  was  strongly  opposed  to  it, 
as  he  did  not,  he  said,  wish  women  to  be  received  ;  and 
yet  Madame  Vallayer-Costa,  who  painted  flowers  most 
beautifully,  had  already  been  received,  and  I  believe 
Madame  Vien  also.*  However  that  may  be,  M.  Pierre  (a 
very  second  rate  artist,  for  he  only  saw  in  painting  the  art 
of  handling  the  brush)  was  a  clever  man  ;  and  besides  he 
was  rich,  which  gave  him  the  means  of  receiving  artists, 
who  in  those  days  were  less  fortunate  than  they  are  now. 
His  opposition  might  have  been  fatal  to  me,  if  in  those 
times  all  the  true  amateurs  had  not  been  associates  of  the 
Academy,  and  had  they  not  -  formed,  in  my  favour,  a 
cabal  against  that  of  M.  Pierre.  It  was  at  this  time  that 
the  following  epigram  was  made. 

TO  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 

**  Au  Salon  ton  art  vainqueur, 
Devrait  etre  en  lumiere. 


*  Madame  Vigee  Le  Brun  might  have  added  more  names  to  that 
of  Madame  Vien,  namely  : — i.  Catherine  Duchemin,  flower  painter. 
2.  Genevieve  de  Boulogne,  flower  painter.  3  Madeleine  de  Bou- 
logne, flower  painter.  4.  Elisabeth-Sophie  Cheron,  (wife  of  Lehay), 
portrait  painter.  5.  Anne-Renee  Stresor,  miniature  painter,  and 
later  on  of  religious  histoiy  as  well,  and  several  others  ;  fifteen  in  all 
were  elected  members  at  different  times. 


54  SOUVENIRS  OF 


Pour  te  ravir  cet  honneur  * 

Lise  il  faut  avoir  le  coeur 

De  Pierre  ;  de  Pierre,  de  Pierre." 

Finally  I  was  admitted. f  M.  Pierre  then  spread  about 
a  report  that  it  was  through  an  order  from  the  Court  that 
I  had  been  received.  I  really  believe  that  the  King  and 
Queen  had  been  good  enough  to  wish  me  to  enter  the 
Academy,  but  that  was  all.  • 

r  gave  for  a  presentation  picture,  "  Peace  returning  and 
bringing  Plenty  with  her,"  which  is  now  in  the  ''Ministere 
de  rinterieur."  It  ought  to  have  been  returned  to  me, 
as  I  no  longer  belong  to  the  Academy.  I  continued 
painting  very  hard,  I  had  often  three  sittings  in  one  day, 
and  those  after  dinner  tired  me  so  much  that  I  became 
thinner  and  thinner,  owing  to  no  longer  being  able  to 
digest  well.  My  friends  got  the  doctor  to  order  me  to 
sleep  every  day  after  my  dinner.  At  first  it  was  difficult 
to  accustom  myself  to  this  habit,  but  as  I  remained  in  my 
room  with  the  shutters  closed,  sleep  at  last  overtook  me, 
and  I  am  sure  it  is  to  this  prescription  that  I  owe  my 
life.  You  know,  dear  friend,  how  much  importance  I 
ascribe  to  keeping  calm.  Being  forced  to  work  so  hard, 
added  to  the  fatigue  of  my  long  voyages,  rendered  it 
positively  necessary  ;  the  only  objection  I  had  to  this 
siesta  was,  that  it  deprived  me  of  the  pleasure  of  dining 
in  town,  and  as  I  devoted  the  whole  morning  to  painting, 


*  Only  members  of  the  Academy  had  the  right  in  those  days  to 
exhibit  at  the  Salon. 
\  May  31st,  1783. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  55 

I  never  saw  my  friends  until  the  evening.  It  is  true  that 
then  I  could  do  as  I  pleased,  for  I  spent  my  evenings 
in  the  most  delightful  and  brilliant  society. 

After  my  marriage  I  still  lived  in  the  Rue  de  Clery, 
where  M.  Le  Brun  had  a  large  suite  of  rooms,  very  richly 
furnished,  in  which  he  kept  his  paintings  by  the  great 
masters.  As  for  me,  I  was  reduced  to  occupying  a  little 
ante-room  and  bed-room  which  served  me  as  a  sitting- 
room.  This  room  was  hung  with  the  same  material  as 
my  bed  curtains.  The  furniture  was  extremely  simple, 
too  much  so,  perhaps,  which  however  did  not  prevent  M. 
de  Champeenetz  writing  (his  mother-in-law  was  jealous  of 
me)  that  "  Madame  Le  Brun  had  splendid  hangings  to 
her  rooms,  that  she  lighted  her  fire  with  bank  notes,  and 
only  burnt  aloe  wood  ;  "  but  I  will  not  tell  you  now,  dear 
friend,  any  more  of  the  calumnies  of  which  I  have  been 
the  victim  ;  we  shall  go.  back  to  them  by  and  by.  They  are 
explained  by  my  receiving  every  evening  in  these  modest 
small  apartments,  which  I  have  described,  both  courtiers 
and  townsfolk ;  great  ladies,  noblemen  and  men  of  mark 
in  letters  and  art — all  came  to  these  rooms ;  it  was  who 
would  be  present  at  my  receptions,  and  often  the  marshals 
of  France  had  to  sit  on  the  floor — I  remember  the  Mar- 
shal de  Noailles,  who  was  very  large  and  very  old,  had 
one  night  the  greatest  difficulty  in  getting  up  again. 

I  was  far  from  imagining  that  all  these  great  people 
came  on  my  account ;  as  so  often  happens  where  open 
house  is  kept,  some  came  to  meet  their  friends,  and  others, 
the  greater  number,  to  enjoy  the  best  music  which  was  to 
be  had  in  Paris.    The  celebrated  composers,  Gretry,  Sac- 


56 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


chini  and  Martini,  often  performed  at  my  house  portions 
of  their  works  before  the  first  representation.  Our  most 
constant  singers  were  Garat,  Asevedo,  Richer,  Madame 
Todi  and  my  sister-in-law,  who  had  a  beautiful  voice  and 
could  accompany  anything  by  sight,  which  was  very  use- 
ful to  us.  I  too  sang  occasionally,  without  much  training 
it  is  true,  for  I  had  never  the  time  for  lessons,  but  my 
voice  was  agreeable  ;  the  amiable  Gretry  said  I  had  most 
silvery  tones.  However  we  must  put  aside  all  pretensions 
as  to  singing  when  one  mentions  those  I  have  just  named ; 
for  Garat  may  be  cited  as  one  of  the  most  extraordinarily 
talented  men  ever  met  with.  Not  only  was  there  nothing 
too  difficult  for  that  flexible  voice  ;  but  for  expression  he 
had  no  rival,  none  ever  sang  Gliick  as  well  as  he  did — 
Madame  Todi  combined  a  superb  voice  with  all  the  quali- 
ties of  a  great  singer,  and  she  sang  serious  and  buffo  parts 
equally  well. 

For  instrumental  music  I  had  Viotti,  the  violinist,  whose 
touch  was  exquisitively  soft  and  delicate,  Jarnovick,* 
Maestrino,  and  Prince  Henry  of  Prussia,  an  excellent  ama- 
teur who  brought  his  first  violin.  Salentin  played  the 
hautboy,  Hulmandel  and  Cramer  the  piano,  Madame  de 
Montgeron  came  once  soon  after  her  marriage.  Although 
she  was  very  young  then,  she  astonished  every  one  by  her 
expression  and  execution. 

The  ladies  who  usually  attended  my  concerts  were  the 
Marquise  de  Grollien,  Madame  de  Verdun,  Marquise  de 


*  Jean-Marie  Jarnovick,  born  at  Palermo  in  1745,  died  at  St. 
Petersburg!!,  November  21st,  1804. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  5/ 

Sabran  who  afterwards  married  the  Chevalier  de  Boufflers, 
the  Comtesse  de  Molay  (all  four  great  friends  of  mine) 
the  Comtesse  de  Segur,  Marquise  de  Ronge,  Madame  de 
Pize,  her  friend — I  painted  them  together — and  a  host  of 
other  ladies  whom  I  could  not  receive  very  often  owing  to 
the  small  space  afforded  by  my  rooms,  and  several  distin- 
guished foreigners.  As  for  the  men,  it  would  take  too 
long  to  name  them,  as  I  believe  I  entertained  all  of  any 
note  in  Paris. 

I  selected  the  most  amiable  amongst  these  to  invite  to 
my  supper  parties,  which  were  the  most  amusing  in  Paris, 
owing  to  the  presence  of  the  Abbe  Delisle,  the  poet  Le 
Brun,  Chevalier  de  Boufflers,  Vicomte  de  Segur  and  many 
others,  who  were  amongst  my  most  favoured  guests.  No 
one  can  imagine  what  society  was  like  in  France  in  those 
days  when,  business  being  over,  twelve  or  fifteen  people 
would  visit  at  different  friends'  houses  and  there  finish  the 
evening.  The  mirth  and  laughter  which  presided  at  these 
entertainments  gave  them  a  charm  which  mere  dinners 
can  never  have — a  friendliness  and  sociability  reigned 
amongst  the  guests,  restraint  was  laid  aside  and  it  was  at 
the  suppers  that  Parisian  society  showed  its  superiority 
over  that  of  all  Europe.  At  my  house,  for  instance,  peo- 
ple began  to  arrive  at  nine  o'clock.  Politics  were  never 
alluded  to,  but  literature  and  the  news  of  the  day  were 
the  chief  subjects  of  conversation.  Sometimes  we  amused 
ourselves  with  acting  charades,  sometimes  the  Abbe  De- 
lisle  or  Le  Brun-Pindare  would  recite  some  of  their  verses. 
At  ten  we  sat  down  to  table  ;  my  supper  was  a  most  sim- 
ple repast.    It  was  always  composed  of  a  fowl,  a  fish,  a 


58 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


dish  of  vegetables  and  a  salad  ;  so  that  if  I  happened  to 
have  too  many  guests  there  was  not  always  enough  for  all 
to  eat.  It  was  not  of  much  consequence,  we  were  gay, 
good  tempered,  and  the  hours  passed  like  minutes;  towards 
midnight  all  took  their  departure. 

Not  only  did  I  have  suppers  at  my  own  residence,  but  I 
frequently  supped  in  Paris,  for  I  could  only  dispose  of  my 
time  in  the  evening.  1  enjoyed  then  taking  some  repose 
after  my  labours,  in  the  form  of  cheerful  distractions. 
Occasionally  it  was  a  ball,  a  ball  where  people  were  not 
crushed  as  they  are  now ;  eight  people  were  sufficient  to 
form  a  quadrille,  and  the  women  who  did  not  dance  could 
at  any  rate  watch  the  dancing,  for  the  men  stood  upright 
behind  them.  Never  having  cared  about  dancing,  I  pre- 
ferred the  houses  where  music  was  the  attraction.  I  often 
went  to  spend  the  evening  with  M.  de  Riviere  who  was 
charge  d'affaires,  to  the  Court  of  Saxony,  as  he  was  dis- 
tinguished both  for  his  wit  and  moral  qualities.  His 
daughter,  my  sister-in-law,  sang  divinely,  and  made  a  good 
amateur  actress.  The  eldest  son  of  M.  de  Riviere  was 
charming  in  comic  parts  ;  I  took  the  part  of  a  soubrette 
in  operas  and  comedies.  Madame  de  Ruette,  who  had 
retired  from  the  stage  some  years  before,  did  not  disdain' 
joining  our  troupe.  She  acted  in  several  operas  with  us, 
and  her  voice  was  still  fresh  and  very  lovely.  My  brother 
Vigee  took  the  first  parts  very  well ;  in  fact  all  our  actors 
were  excellent,  except  Talma.  You  will  laugh  at  this,  but 
the  fact  is  that  Talma,  who  acted  the  lovers'  parts,  was 
awkward,  and  embarrassed,  and  no  one  could  have  fore- 
seen that  he  would  become  an  inimitable  actor.    My  sur- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  59 

prise  was  great  I  confess,  when  I  beheld  our  jeune  premier 
outdo  Larive,  and  even  Kain.  But  the  time  it  took  to 
work  this  metamorphosis,  and  all  those  of  the  same  nature, 
proves  to  me  that  dramatic  talent  is  one  of  the  last  to 
develop  itself.  If  you  take  the  trouble  to  look  around, 
you  will  find  that  there  never  yet  existed  any  actor  who 
was  great  in  his  youth. 

This  is  an  immensely  long  letter,  I  have  no  space  to  tell 
you  about  a  certain  Greek  supper  which  made  a  consider- 
able sensation,  so  I  must  reserve  that  for  another  time. 

Ever  your  friend. 


LETTER  VII. 

The  Greek  Supper — Me'nageot — M.  de  Calonne — Mademoiselle  Ar- 
nault— Calumny — Madame  de  S.  .  .  — Her  Perfidy. 

ERE,  my  dear  friend,  is  an  exact  account  of  the 
most  brilliant  supper  I  ever  gave. 

One  evening  I  had  invited  twelve  or  fifteen 
friends  to  hear  a  reading  of  the  poet  Le  Brun  ;  whilst  I  was 
resting,  before  they  arrived,  my  brother  read  me  some 
pages  of  the  Travels  of  Anacharsis.  When  he  reached 
the  part  describing  Greek  dinners,  and  the  different  sauces 
and  food  they  had,  he  said,  "  We  ought  to  try  some  of 
those  things  to-night."  I  immediately  spoke  to  my  cook 
and  told  her  what  to  do,  and  we  decided  she  should  make 
one  sauce  for  the  fowl,  and  another  for  the  eels.  As  I 
was  expecting  some  very  pretty  women,  I  thought  we 
might  all  dress  up  in  Greek  costumes  so  as  to  create  a  sur- 
prise for  M.  de  Vaudreuil  and  M.  Boutin  who  we  knew 
could  not  arrive  before  ten.  My  studio,  full  of  the  things 
with  which  I  draped  my  models,  provided  me  with  several 
clothes,  and  the  Comte  de  Parois,  who  lodged  in  my 
house,  had  a  fine  selection  of  Etruscan  vases.  He  came 
to  see  me  that  day,  as  it  happened ;  I  informed  him  of  my 
project,  and  he  brought  me  a  quantity  of  vases  to  choose 

60 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


6i 


from.  I  dusted  them  carefully  and  placed  them  on  a 
mahogany  table,  laid  without  a  cloth.  I  then  placed  a 
large  screen  behind  the  chairs,  which  I  concealed  by  cov- 
ering it  here  and  there  with  a  drapery,  like  that  which  is 
seen  in  some  of  Poussin's  paintings.  A  hanging  lamp 
threw  a  strong  light  on  the  table.  At  last  everything  was 
prepared,  even  my  costumes;  the  first  to  arrive  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  Vernet,  the  charming  Madame  Chalgrin. 
Immediately  I  dressed  her  hair  and  draped  her,  then  came 
Madame  de  Verneuil,  renowned  for  her  beauty  ;  Madame 
Vigee,  my  sister-in-law,  who,  without  being  pretty  had  the 
most  lovely  eyes  ;  and  there  they  were  all  three  metamor- 
phosed into  bona  fide  Athenians.  Le  Brun-Pindare  came 
in,  we  took  off  his  powder,  and  undid  his  side  curls,  and 
on  his  head  I  placed  a  wreath  of  laurel  with  which  I  had 
painted  young  Prince  Henry  Lubomirski.  I  had  repre- 
sented him  kneeling  before  a  laurel  bush  and  plaiting  a 
crown.  This  painting  has  always  remained  in  the  family ; 
the  King  of  Poland  told  me,  when  at  St.  Petersburg,  that 
never  would  they  consent  to  part  with  it  at  any  price,  even 
to  him.  The  Comte  de  Parois  had  a  large  purple  mantle 
in  which  I  draped  my  poet,  and  in  a  twinkling  there  was 
Pindare  transformed  into  Anacreon.  Then  came  the  Mar- 
quis de  Cubieres.  Whilst  they  went  to  his  house  for  his 
guitar,  which  he  had  had  mounted  as  a  golden  lyre,  I  cos- 
tumed him  also,  as  well  as  M.  de  Riviere  (my  sister-in- 
law's  brother),  Ginguene  and  Chaudet  the  famous  sculp- 
tor. 

It  was  getting  late,  I  had  not  much  time  to  think  of 
myself ;  but  as  I  always  wore  white  tunic-shaped  dresses, 


62 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


now  called  blouses,  I  only  needed  a  veil  and  crown  of 
flowers  on  my  head.  I  took  great  pains  with  my  daughter, 
a  charming  child,  and  Mademoiselle  de  Bonneuil,  novv^ 
Madame  Regnault  d'Angely,  who  was  very  pretty.  Both 
were  most  graceful  to  behold,  bearing  each  an  antique 
vase  and  waiting  on  us. 

At  half-past  nine  the  preparations  were  over,  and  as 
soon  as  we  were  seated  the  effect  of  this  arrangement  was 
so  novel  and  picturesque  that  we  kept  rising  in  turns  in 
order  to  look  at  those  who  were  seated. 

At  ten  we  heard  the  carriage  of  the  Comte  de  Vaudreuil 
and  de  Boutin  and  when  these  two  gentlemen  entered  the 
room,  they  found  us  singing  the  chorus  from  Gliick,  the 
God  of  Paphos  and  Guido,  with  M.  de  Cubieres  accom- 
panying us  on  his  lyre. 

I  never  in  my  life  saw  two  such  astonished  faces  as  those 
of-  M.  de  Vaudreuil  and  his  companion.  They  were  sur- 
prised and  delighted,  and  could  hardly  tear  themselves 
away  from  looking  at  us  in  order  to  sit  down  in  the  places 
reserved  for  them.  Besides  the  two  dishes  I  have  men- 
tioned, we  had  a  cake  made  of  honey  and  Corinthian 
grapes,  and  two  plates  of  vegetables.  '  We  did  indeed 
drink  that  evening  a  bottle  of  old  Cyprian  wine  which  I 
had  had  given  me,  but  that  was  our  only  excess.  We  sat  a 
long  time  at  table,  and  Le  Brun  recited  several  odes  to  us. 
We  all  spent  a  most  enjoyable  evening. 

M.  Boutin  and  M.  de  Vaudreuil  were  so  enthusiastic 
about  it,  that  they  spread  it  abroad  the  next  day  amongst 
their  friends.  Some  Court  ladies  asked  me  for  a  second 
representation  of  this  amusement,  but  I  refused  for  several 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  63 

reasons,  and  many  of  them  were  annoyed  with  me  in  con- 
sequence. Soon  the  rumour  spread  that  this  supper  cost 
me  twenty  thousand  francs.  The  King  spoke  angrily  about 
it  to  the  Marquis  de  Cubieres,  who  luckily  had  been  one 
of  my  guests,  and  was  able  to.  tell  him  how  much  it  had 
been  exaggerated; 

Nevertheless  what  was  rumoured  at  Versailles  at  twenty 
thousand  francs,  spread  to  Rome  at  forty  thousand ;  at 
Vienna  the  Baronne  de  Strogonoff  informed  me  I  had 
spent  sixty  thousand  on  my  supper,  and  at  St.  Petersburg, 
as  you  know,  the  sum  remained  at  eighty  thousand,  where- 
as, to  tell  the  truth,  my  Greek  supper  only  cost  me  fifteen 
francs.  The  saddest  part  of  all  this  was  that  these  shame- 
ful stories  were  carried  round  Europe  by  my  own  com- 
patriots, and  this  ridiculous  calumny  was  not  the  only  one 
with  which  my  life  was  made  unhappy ;  it  is  only  too  true 
that  since  I  made  my  appearance  in  the  world  I  have  been 
a  prey  to  malevolence  and  stupidity.  One  tale  was  that 
my  works  were  not  done  by  myself  ;  M.  Menageot  painted 
my  pictures  and  even  my  portraits,  although  so  many  peo- 
ple could  naturally  bear  witness  to  the  contrary  ;  this 
alDSurd  report  did  not  cease  till  I  had  been  received  at  the 
Royal  Academy  of  Painting.  Then  as  I  exhibited  in  the 
same  salon  as  the  author  of  Meleagro,  the  truth  came  out : 
for  Menageot,  whose  talent  and  counsels  I  fully  appreci- 
ated, had  a  style  of  painting  quite  different  from  mine. 
His  pictures  are  finely  composed,  and  in  a  good  historical 
style.  This  artist  excelled  in  his  draperies,  and  his  Leo- 
nardo da  Vinci,  dying  in  the  arms  of  Francis  I.  is  very  re- 
markable, but  not  equal  to  the  Meleagro  at  the  Gobelins. 


64 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


M.  Menageot  was  very  handsome,  amiable,  witty  and 
sociable  ;  he  was  a  great  favourite  in  society. 

Although  I  believe  I  was  a  most  inoffensive  person,  I 
had  enemies  :  not  only  amongst  women,  who  disliked  my 
not  being  as  plain  as  they  were,  but  some  men  could  not 
forgive  me  for  being  the  vogue,  and  getting  more  money 
for  my  paintings  than  they  did.  The  result  was  many  gos- 
siping stories,  one  of  which  distressed  me  very  much. 

Shortly  before  the  Revolution  I  made  a  portrait  of  M. 
de  Calonne,  and  exhibited  it  at  the  salon  of  1785  ;  I  had 
painted  this  Minister  seated,  a  half  length  picture  :  which 
caused  Mademoiselle  Arnould  to  say,  when  she  saw  it : 
"  Madame  Le  Brun  has  cut  off  his  legs  so  that  he  may 
not  run  away."  Unfortunately  this  witty  remark  was  not 
the  only  one  to  which  my  painting  gave  rise  ;  the  most 
dreadful  calumnies  were  invented  about  the  picture.  Some 
asserted  that  the  Controler-General  had  given  me  a  num- 
ber of  those  bon-bons,  called  curl-papers,  wrapped  up  in 
bank  notes  ;  others  that  I  had  received  in  a  pasty  a  sum 
large  enough  to  ruin  the  Exchequer.  The  truth  was  that 
M.  de  Calonne  had  sent  me  four  thousand  francs  in  a  box 
valued  at  twenty  louis ;  several  people  are  still  alive  who 
were  present  when  I  received  it,  and  can  certify  to  the 
truth  of  my  statement.  They  were  suprised  at  the  small- 
ness  of  the  sum  ;  for  shortly  before  M.  de  Beaujon,  whom 
I  had  painted  in  the  same  way,  sent  me  eight  thousand 
francs  (three  hundred  and  twenty  pounds)  and  no  one 
found  the  price  exorbitant,  even  then.  The  stone  once 
set  rolling,  there  were  no  end  of  evil  disposed  persons  to 
keep  it  going.    I  was  harassed  with  libels,  accusing  me  of 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  65 

having  a  secret  liaison  with  M.  de  Calonne  ;  a  man  named 
Gorsas  *  whom  I  never  knew  or  saw,  and  who  was  a  vio- 
lent Jacobite,  deluged  me  with  wicked  lies. 

The  misfortune  was  that  M.  Le  Brun  who,  against  my 
wishes,  had  built  a  house  in  the  Rue  Gros-Chenet,  gave  by 
this  means  a  pretext  for  calumny.  Certainly  we  had  both 
earned  sufficient  money  to  allow  of  this  expense  ;  never- 
theless, certain  people  asserted  that  M.  de  Calonne  paid 
for  the  house.  He  would  have  paid  for  it  very  tardily ; 
for  until  my  return  from  Russia  in  1801,  the  payment  was 
not  quite  finished,  M.  Le  Brun  having  left  this  part  of  the 
business  to  me,  to  my  great  disgust.  "You  see,"  I  fre- 
quently said  to  M.  Le  Brun,  "  what  infamous  stories  they 
tell  of  me  !  "  "  Let  them  talk,"  he  repHed  in  just  indig- 
nation, "  when  you  die,  I  will  erect  a  pyramid  in  my  gar- 
den, and  on  it  I  will  have  engraved  the  list  of  your  por- 
traits ;  they  will  know  then  what  a  fortune  you  have 
made."  But  I  must  own  that  this  honour  consoled  me 
very  slightly  for  my  present  annoyance.  This  annoyance 
was  all  the  more  keen,  as  no  one  more  than  myself  could 
possibly  fear  becoming  the  object  of  degrading  thoughts. 
I  was  so  indifferent  on  the  subject  of  money,  that  I  scarcely 
knew  its  value  ;  the  Comtesse  de  la  Guiche,  who  is  still 
alive,  could  affirm  that  having  come  to  arrange  the  price  of 
her  portrait  which  she  wished  me  to  make,  told  me  that 
she  could  not  afford  to  pay  more  than  a  thousand  crowns  ; 
I  replied  that  M.  Le  Brun,  would  not  allow  me  to  take 


*  Gorsas  (Antoine-Joseph)  was  a  political  writer  and  was  guillo- 
tined, October  7th,  1793. 


66 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


less  than  a  hundred  louis.  This  defect  of  calculation  I 
found  very  disadvantageous  to  me  during  my  last  journey 
to  London  ;  I  constantly  forgot  that  guineas  were  worth 
more  than  a  louis,  and  for  my  portraits  (amongst  others  that 
of  Madame  Canning  in  1803)  I  made  my  account  as  though 
I  was  in  Paris. 

All  those  who  surrounded  me  knew  that  M.  Le  Brun 
took  possession  of  all  the  money  I  earned,  telling  me  that 
he  required  it  for  his  business  ;  frequently  I  had  only  six 
francs  in  my  purse.  In  1788,  when  I  made  the  portrait 
of  the  handsome  Prince  Lubomirski,  then  a  youth,  his 
aunt  the  Princesse  Lubomirski  sent  me  twelve  thousand 
francs,  and  I  begged  M.  Le  Brun  to  let  me  have  two 
louis  ;  but  he  refused,  pretending  that  he  had  need  of  the 
entire  sum  to  pay  a  debt.  Besides  this,  M.  Le  Brun  fre- 
quently appropriated  money  that  was  paid,  and  neglected 
to  tell  me  that  I  had  been  paid.  Gnce  in  my  life,  in  the 
month  of  September,  1789, 1  received  the  price  of  a  por- 
trait ;  it  was  that  of  the  Bailly  de  Crussol,  who  sent  me 
one  hundred  louis.  Happily  my  husband  being  absent  I 
was  able  to  keep  this  sum,  which  a  few  days  afterwards^ 
on  the  5th  of  October,  enabled  me  to  journey  to  Rome. 

My  indifference  to  money  was  no  doubt  caused  by  the 
small  need  I  had  to  be  rich.  I  lived  very  quietly,  and 
spent  little  on  my  toilette;  I  was  often  reproached  with  negli- 
gence on  this  point,  for  I  wore  generally  nothing  but  white 
dresses,  either  muslin  or  linen,  and  I  never  wore  full  dress 
except  for  my  seances  at  Versailles.  My  head-dress  cost 
me  nothing,  I  arranged  my  hair  myself,  and  generally 
twisted  round  my  head  a  muslin  kerchief,  as  can  be  seen 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


67 


in  the  portraits  of  myself  which  are  in  Florence,  St.  Peters- 
burg and  at  Paris,  at  M.  de  Laborde's.  In  all  my  por- 
traits I  am  painted  thus,  with  one  exception,  which  is  at 
the  Museum  of  the  Louvre,  where  I  am  attired  as  a  Greek. 

Certes,  it  was  not  a  woman  of  this  kind  who  could  gain 
the  title  of  receiver-general  of  finances,  and  besides  M.  de 
Calonne  had  no  attractions  for  me,  for  he  wore  a  lawyer's 
wig  !  I  always  detested  them,  and  judge  then,  with  my 
love  of  the  picturesque,  how  could  I  have  accustomed 
myself  to  a  wig  !  And  I  once  refused  a  rich  marriage 
because  the  gentleman  wore  one  ;  and  I  had  a  great  dis- 
like to  painting  men  who  wore  them. 

The  most  surprising  part  of  this  affair,  was  that  there 
had  never  been  a  shadow  of  truth  in  the  calumny  ;  I 
scarcely  knew  M.  de  Calonne.  Once  only  in  my  life  had 
I  been  in  his  house,  on  the  occasion  of  his  giving  a  grand 
soiree  to  Prince  Henry  of  Prussia,  and  he  had  thought  it 
proper  to  invite  me  ;  also  I  recollect  having  finished  his 
portrait  in  so  much  haste  that  I  did  not  copy  his  hands, 
which  I  was  always  in  the  habit  of  doing  from  my  models. 
I  should  therefore  never  have  imagined  from  what  source 
these  malignant  stories  could  have  arisen,  had  I  not  dis- 
covered afterwards  a  most  perfidious  action  worthy  of  the 
lower  regions. 

M.  de  Calonne  frequently  visited  in  the  Rue  Gros-Chenet 

(before  I  had  a  house  there)  a  certain  Madame  de  S  , 

wife  of  D  ,  surnamed  the  Roue.  Madame  de  S  had 

a  charming  sweet  face,  though  one  might  perceive  some- 
thing deceitful  in  her  expression,  and  M.  de  Calonne  was 
very  much  in  love  with  her.    At  the  time  of  which  I  speak 


68 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


she  had  begged  me  to  take  her  portrait,  and  one  day  when 
she  was  having  a  sitting,  she  asked  me  in  her  usual  sweet 
manner  if  I  would  lend  her  my  carriage  that  evening  to 
take  her  to  the  theatre  ;  I  consented,  and  my  coachman 
drove  to  her  house  to  take  her.  The  next  morning  I 
wanted  my  horses  for  eleven  o'clock  ;  but  neither  coach- 
man or  carriage  had  returned.  I  sent  at  once  a  messenger 
to  Madame  de  S  .  Madame  de  S   had  not  re- 
turned ;  she  had  passed  the  night  at  the  Hotel  des  Fi- 
nances !  Imagine  my  indignation  when  I  heard  this  some 
days  afterwards  from  my  coachman,  who  also  related  it  to 
several  persons  in  my  house.  In  thinking,  that  if  the 
people  at  the  Hotel  des  Finances  had  asked  whose  carriage 
it  was,  this  man  would  have  naturally  replied  that  it 
belonged  to  Madame  Le  Brun,  I  was  almost  beside  myself 
with  rage.    It  is  useless  to  add  that  I  never  saw  any  more 

of  Madame  de  S  ,  who  I  am  told  lives  at  Toulouse,  and 

has  become  extremely  pious  and  devout.  May  God  for- 
give her !  Did  she  want  to  save  her  reputation  at  the  ex- 
pense of  mine  ?  Did  she  hate  me  ?  I  do  not  know  :  but  she 
did  me  a  great  injury,  for  the  long  details  on  which  I  have 
entered,  dear  friend,  will  sufficiently  prove  to  you  how  I 
have  suffered  from  a  calumny  which  was  so  inconsistent 
with  my  character  and  the  conduct  of  my  whole  life,  which 
I  venture  to  say  has  ahvays  been  honourable. 

This  is  a  sad  letter,  enough  to  disgust  one  with  cele- 
brity, above  all  when  one  has  the  misfortune  to  be  a 
woman.  A  gentleman  said  to  me  one  day  :  "  When  I 
look  at  you,  and  think  of  your  renown,  I  seem  to  see 
rays  of  glory  round   your  head."     "Ah!"  I  replied, 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  69 

sighing,  there  are  many  little  serpents  in  rays  of  that 
kind." 

In  fact,  is  there  ever  a  great  reputation  made  that  does 
not  excite  envy  ?  It  is  true  that  it  draws  to  you  all  your 
most  distinguished  contemporaries,  and  this  society  is  a 
great  consolation.  When  I  think  of  the  many  amiable 
kind  people  whose  acquaintance  and  friendship  I  owe  to 
my  art,  I  am  happy  that  my  name  is  known ;  and  to  con- 
clude in  one  word,  dear  friend,  when  I  think  of  you  I  for- 
get the  scandal-mongers. 

Adieu. 


LETTER  VIII. 

Le  Kain — Brizard — Mademoiselle  Dumesnil — Monvel — Mademoiselle 
Rancourt — Mademoiselle  Sainval — Madame  Vestris — Larive — Clai- 
ron — Talma — Prcville  Dugazon — Mademoiselle  Mars — Madame 
St.  Hubert! — The  Two  Vestris — Cailleau. 

V  greatest  recreation  was  going  to  the  theatre, 
and  I  can  assure  you  that  at  the  time  of  which 
I  write  the  actors  were  so  admirable  that  they 
have  never  been  excelled.  I  perfectly  recollect  having 
seen  the  celebrated  Le  Kain  act,  though  I  was  too  young  to 
appreciate  his  great  talent  ;  the  applause  and  spontaneous 
enthusiasm  which  he  excited  proved  to  me  even  then 
what  a  splendid  tragedian  he  was.  The  astonishing  ugli- 
ness of  Le  Kain  was  not  noticed  in  certain  parts.  A 
chevalier's  costume  for  example  softened  the  harsh  and 
repulsive  expression  of  a  face  the  features  of  which  were 
irregular,  so  that  one  could  watch  him  when  he  played  Tan- 
cred  ;  but  in  the  role  of  Orosmane,  in  which  I  once  saw 
him,  the  turban  made  him  so  hideous  that  though  I  ad- 
mired his  noble  acting,  he  positively  made  me  afraid.  At 
the  time  w^hen  Le  Kain  played  his  first  parts,  and  even 
some  years  later,  I  saw  Brizard  and  Mademoiselle  Dumes- 
nil.   Brizard  took  the  parts  of  the  "  fathers,"  and  nature 

70 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


71 


seemed  to  have  fitted  him  for  this  employment  ;  his  white 
hair,  imposing  stature,  and  his  superb  voice,  gave  him  the 
most  noble  and  respectable  appearance  imaginable.  He 
excelled  most  in  King  Lear,  and  in  the  CEdipus  of  Ducis. 
You  would  really  have  thought  you  saw  these  unfortunate 
princes,  so  grand  was  the  aspect  of  the  man  who  repre- 
sented them. 

Mademoiselle  Dumesnil,  though  small  and  very  plain, 
excited  the  greatest  enthusiasm  in  the  tragic  parts.  Her 
talent,  however,  was  uncertain  ;  she  fell  sometimes  into 
trivialities,  but  she  had  also  sublime  moments.  In  general, 
she  expressed  passion  better  than  tenderness,  unless  it  was 
maternal,  for  one  of  her  best  parts  was  Merope.  It  some- 
times happened  that  Mademoiselle  Dumesnil  in  playing  a 
part  of  the  piece  produced  no  effect  on  her  audience  ; 
suddenly  she  would  become  animated,  and  then  her  man- 
ner, her  voice,  her  look,  all  became  so  eminently  tragical, 
that  she  carried  the  whole  house  with  her.  I  am  told  that 
before  appearing  on  the  stage,  she  always  drank  a  bottle 
of  wine,  and  had  one  in  reserve  behind  the  scenes. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  actors  at  the  Theatre 
Fran9ais  in  tragedy  and  high  comedy  was  Monvel.  Some 
physical  disadvantages,  and  a  weak  voice,  precluded  him 
from  taking  a  first  place  ;  but  his  spirit,  his  enthusiasm,  and 
above  all  the  correctness  of  his  diction  left  nothing  to  be 
desired.  On  my  return  to  Paris,  he  had  quitted  the  role 
of  jeunes  premiers  for  that  of  peres  nobles.  I  saw  him  play 
Augustus  of  Cinna  and  I'Abbe  de  I'Epee  in  an  admirable 
manner  ;  in  this  last  piece  he  was  so  perfectly  natural, 
that  once  on  leaving  the  scene  he  bowed  to  the  actors  of 


72  SOUVENIRS  OF 

the  piece;  I  rose  and  returned  his  bow,  which  greatly 
amused  the  friends  I  was  with. 

The  most  brilUant  debut  which  I  remember  and  have 
seen,  was  that  of  Mademoiselle  Rancourt  in  the  role  of 
Dido.  She  was  not  more  than  eighteen  or  twenty  years  of 
age.  The  beauty  of  her  face,  figure,  voice  and  diction  all 
promised  a  perfect  actress  ;  joined  to  all  her  other  advan- 
tages, she  had  a  remarkably  modest  manner  and  an  un- 
blemished reputation,  which  made  her  much  sought  after 
by  all  the  great  ladies  of  Paris.  They  gave  her  jewellery, 
costumes  for  the  theatre,  and  money  for  herself  and  father 
whom  she  never  left ;  they  say  that  the  happy  mortal  who 
first  triumphed  over  so  many  virtues  was  the  Marquis  de 
Bievre,  and  that  when  she  left  him  for  another  lover,  he 
cried  :  "  Ah  !  Tingrate  k  ma  rente  !  "  Mademoiselle  Ran- 
court always  remained  a  great  tragedian,  but  her  voice  be- 
came so  harsh  and  hard,  that  when  not  looking  at  her  you 
might  have  imagined  you  heard  a  man.  She  acted  at  the 
theatre  until  her  death,  playing  the  parts  of  mothers  and 
queens  with  infinite  success. 

I  have  also  witnessed  the  acting  of  the  Mesdemoiselles 
Sainval,  and  Madame  Vestris,  the  sister  of  Dugazon. 
The  two  first  named  wept  too  frequently  ;  but  they  seemed 
to  me  to  be  superior  as  tragedians  to  Madame  Vestris,  who, 
beautiful  though  she  was,  never  obtained  any  great  suc- 
cess, unless  in  the  role  of  Gabrielle  de  Vergy,  where  the 
effect  she  produced  in  the  last  act  was  heart-breaking  ;  it 
must  also  be  added  that  this  scene  was  horrible. 

Larive  who,  unfortunately  for  himself,  succeeded  Le 
^  Kain,  the  recollection  of  whom  had  not  died,  had  more 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  73 

talent  than  the  old  theatre  goers  gave  him  credit  for  ;  it 
was  the  comparison  between  himself  and  Le  Kain  which 
was  injurious  to  him,  for  he  lacked  neither  in  energy  or 
noble  bearing.  He  was  handsome,  tall,  well  made,  but  he 
was  never  easy  in  his  gait,  which  made  people  say  he 
walked  on  one  side  of  himself. 

Larive  had  very  good  manners,  and  conversed  with  much 
spirit,  even  on  subjects  not  connected  with  his  profession, 
so  much  so  that  he  always  mixed  in  good  society. 

My  brother  introduced  him  to  me,  and  as  I  knew  Larive 
to  be  intimately  acquainted  with  Mademoiselle  Clairon, 
I  expressed  to  him  my  great  desire  to  know  this  grand 
tragedian,  whom  I  had  not  seen  act  He  immediately 
invited  me  to  dine  with  him,  in  order  to  meet  her,  and 
I  accepted  at  once.  Two  days  afterwards  I  went  to  his 
house  in  the  Gros-Caillou,  which  was  very  charming  and 
arranged  .with  perfect  taste,  besides  possessing  a  lovely 
garden,  which,  though  in  Paris,  seemed  like  the  country. 
Larive  showed  me  his  arbours  under  the  climbing  vine  as 
you  see  them  in  the  environs  of  Naples,  and  just  as  we 
entered  the  dining-room  Mademoiselle  Clairon  was  an- 
nounced. I  had  pictured  to  myself  that  she  was  very 
tall ;  but  on  the  contrary  she  was  short  and  very  thin,  and 
held  her  head  very  erect,  which  gave  her  a  dignified  air. 
I  never  heard  anyone  speak  with  so  much  emphasis,  for 
she  retained  her  tragic  tone  and  airs  of  a  princess  ;  but 
she  struck  me  as  being  clever  and  well  informed.  I  sat 
beside  her  at  table  and  enjoyed  much  of  her  conver- 
sation. Larive  showed  her  the  greatest  respect  and  atten- 
tion. 

4 


74 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


On  my  return  to  France,  I  was  delighted  to  meet  La- 
rive  again,  whilst  on  a  visit  to  the  Marquise  de  Groslier  at 
Epinay.  He  had  retired  from  the  theatre,  and  lived  at  a 
charming  country-seat  in  the  neighbourhood.  He  fre- 
quently visited  Madame  de  Groslier,  and  entertained  us 
by  reading  aloud  ;  the  manner  in  which  he  recited  poetry 
was  perfect,  added  to  which  his  voice  was  splendid. 

Talma,  our  last  great  tragic  actor,  surpassed  to  my  mind 
all  the  others.  There  was  genius  in  his  acting.  One  may 
also  say  that  he  revolutionised  art :  in  the  first  place  by  his 
true  and  pure  diction,  and  next  in  insisting  on  an  innovation 
in  the  costumes,  attiring  himself  as  a  Greek  or  Roman,  as 
the  case  might  be,  to  play  Achilles  or  Brutus,  for  which  I 
felt  deeply  obliged  to  him.  Talma  had  a  splendid  head 
and  the  most  expressive  face,  and  no  matter  to  what 
lengths  the  fire  of  his  acting  carried  him,  he  was  always 
dignified,  which  to  me  appears  one  of  the  first  qualities  in 
a  tragic  actor.  His  voice  was  sometimes  a  little  hollow  ; 
and  was  most  suitable  to  express  rage  or  profound  emo- 
tion ;  he  shone  most  in  the  roles  of  Oreste  and  Manlius ; 
but  in  all  he  was  generally  sublime.  The  last  role  which 
he  created  has  never  been  played  by  any  one  since.  No 
one,  I  believe,  would  have  ventured  to  act  it,  for  Talma 
was  in  this  piece  superior  even  to  himself  ;  he  was  no  longer 
an  actor,  but  Charles  VI.  in  person,  an  unfortunate  king 
and  madman,  in  his  fearfully  true  delineation.  Alas  ! 
death  speedily  followed  this  triumph  ;  and  what  Paris  ap- 
plauded so  vehemently,  was  but  the  song  of  the  swan. 

Talma  was  an  excellent  man,  and  one  of  the  easiest  to  get 
on  with  that  could  be  possibly  met.    He  did  not  appear 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  75 

to  care  much  about  shining  in  society;  to  draw  him  out 
it  was  necessary  that  the  conversation  should  touch  on 
anything  which  interested  his  heart  and  mind  ;  then  he 
became  very  interesting  to  listen  to,  especially  when  he 
conversed  on  his  art. 

Comedy  at  this  time  was  perhaps  even  richer  in  talent 
than  tragedy.  I  often  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Preville 
act.  It  was  delightful  and  inimitable  !  His  style  was  so 
natural,  sparkling  and  gay  !  No  matter  what  he  played, 
whether  Crispin,  Sosie,  Figaro,  you  would  not  have  recog- 
nised him  to  be  the  same  man,  he  had  so  many  different 
ways  of  acting  comic  parts  ;  he  was  so  true  to  nature,  that 
all  who  have  tried  to  imitate  him  have  only  shown  how  in- 
different they  were.  I  do  not  except  Dugazon,  for  he  pos- 
sessed much  talent  certainly,  but  in  Figaro,  for  example, 
he  fell  far  short  of  his  model. 

I  often  dined  with  Preville  :  he  was  a  most  amiable 
host  ;  his  wit  and  gaiety  charmed  every  one.  Dugazon, 
his  successor  in  comic  parts,  would  have  made  an  excel- 
lent comedian  had  he  not  been  possessed  with  the  desire 
of  always  making  the  public  laugh,  which  often  became 
quite  a  farce.  He  played  certain  parts  perfectly  ;  that  of 
a  valet  for  instance.  His  conduct  during  the  Revolution 
was  atrocious  ;  he  was  one  of  those  who  brought  back  the 
King  from  Varennes;  an  eye-witness  told  me  he  saw  him  at 
the  door  of  the  carriage,  his  gun  on  his  shoulder.  Remem- 
ber that  this  man  had  been  most  kindly  treated  by  the 
Court,  and  principally  so  by  the  Comte  d'Artois. 

I  remember  seeing  Mademoiselle  Doligny  in  the  role  of 
jeune  premilre  which  she  acted  beautifully.    She  was  so 


76  SOUVENIRS  OF 

natural,  clever  and  good,  that  one  forgot  how  ugly  she 
was.  I  was  present  at  the  first  appearance  of  Mademoi- 
selle Contat.  She  was  very  pretty  and  well  made,  but 
acted  so  badly  at  first  that  no  one  could  have  foreseen  she 
would  become  such  an  excellent  actress. 

At  the  time  that  all  these  great  actors  of  whom  I  am 
telling  you  began  to  grow  old,  there  arose  amongst  them  a 
young  genius  who  is  now  the  ornament  of  the  French 
stage.  Mademoiselle  Mars  then  acted  in  the  more  simple 
parts  most  inimitably  ;  she  excelled  as  Victorine  in  the 
"  Philosophe  sans  le  savoir,"  and  in  twenty  parts  in 
which  she  has  never  been  equalled,  she  was  so  thoroughly 
natural  and  true.  When  you  saw  Mademoiselle  Mars,  dear 
friend,  she  had  already  begun  to  replace  Mademoiselle 
Contat.  You  must  remember  her  pretty  face,  figure,  and* 
her  voice,  that  angel's  voice  !  fortunately  that  face,  figure 
and  voice  are  so  well  preserved  that  Mademoiselle  Mars 
has  no  age,  and  will,  I  am  sure,  never  be  old  ;  every  "even- 
ing the  delight  of  the  public  shows  they  are  of  my  opinion. 

Another  very  talented  actress  was  Madame  St.  Huberti ; 
the  beautiful  and  impressive  music  of  Piccini,  Sacchini, 
and  Gliick  just  suited  her  superb  voice,  and  in  the  roles 
of  Alcestes  and  Didon  she  was  most  affecting.  She  was 
not  pretty  but  had  an  expressive  countenance  ;  the  Comte 
d'Entraigues,  a  very  handsome,  distinguished  man  fell  so 
much  in  love  with  her  that  he  married  her.  The  Revolu- 
tion having  broken  out  they  took  refuge  in  London,  and  it 
was  there,  while  going  out  one  evening,  that  both  were  as- 
sassinated ;  no  motive  was  ever  found  for  the  dreadful 
act,  neither  was  any  trace  discovered  of  the  assassins. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


77 


Gardel  and  Vestris  senior  were  first  in  the  ballet.  I 
often  saw  them  dance  together,  especially  in  a  chaconne,* 
which  happens  in  Gretry's  operas,  a  chaconne  which  I  be- 
lieve set  all  Paris  jumping  :  it  was  2,  pas  de  deux,  in  which 
the  two  leading  men  pursued  Mademoiselle  Guimard,  who 
was  very  small  and  thin,  which  caused  people  to  compare 
them  to  two  dogs  disputing  over  a  bone.  I  always  con- 
sidered Gardel  very  inferior  to  the  old  Vestris,  who  was  a 
large  handsome  man,  and  perfect  in  a  slow  stately  dance. 
I  cannot  describe  how  gracefully  he  took  off  and  put  on 
his  hat  in  the  bow  preceding  the  minuet  ;  all  the  young 
Court  ladies  took  lessons  of  him  before  their  presentation 
in  making  the  three  bows. 

The  elder  Vestris  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  who  was 
the  most  wonderful  dancer  for  grace  and  lightness  eve*r 
known ;  although  our  dancers  are  not  sparing  of  twists  and 
pirouettes,  no  one  will  make  as  many  as  he  did  ;  he  used 
to  spring  into  the  air  with  such  bounds  that  he  might  have 
had  wings,  which  caused  his  father  to  say  :  "  If  my  son 
touches  the  ground  sometimes,  it  is  only  out  of  a  kind  re- 
gard for  his  comrades." 

One  of  the  most  beloved  actors  was  Cailleau,  he  left  the 
stage  when  I  was  still  very  young,  but  I  saw  him  act  twice 
in  "  Annette  and  Lubin."  His  handsome  face  and  gay 
animated  manner,  combined  with  his  beautiful  voice,  will 
always  be  remembered  by  me,  even  had  I  not  had  the 
pleasure  of  acting  with  him  in  private.  At  the  time  of  his 
great  successes  he  met  with  a  slight  accident  to  his  throat 


*  A  Chaconne  is  an  old  Frencli  dance. 


♦ 


78 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


whilst  on  the  stage,  an  event  which  often  happens  to  sing- 
ers ;  a  hiss  went  round  the  theatre,  and  Cailleau  was  so  of- 
fended that  he  left  it  that  same  evening,  and  no  one 
could  persuade  him  to  play  before  the  public  again. 

When  the  Revolution  broke  out  he  was  much  suspected, 
as  he  had  received  many  kindnesses  from  the  Comte 
d'Artois.  I  was  told,  but  I  will  not  believe  it,  that  he 
proved  ungrateful,  and  played  the  part  of  a  Jacobin.  If 
it  is  true,  I  am  convinced  that  the  fear  of  his  wife  turned 
his  head.  I  have  good  reasons  for  believing  that  she  was 
a  Republican;  in  1791  I  received  in  Rome  a  letter  from 
her  imploring  me  to  return  to  France,  saying  that  we 
should  be  all  equal,  and  it  would  be  a  golden  age.  Hap- 
pily I  did  not  believe  her,  for  what  an  age  of  gold  suc- 
ceeded !  Shortly  after  getting  this  letter,  I  heard  Madame 
Cailleau  had  thrown  herself  out  of  a  window  in  a  fit  of 
despair. 

And  now  I  come  to  her  whose  dramatic  career  I  have 
followed  from  beginning  to  end,  to  the  most  perfect  ac- 
tress ever  possessed  by  the  Opera  Comique,  to  Madame 
Dugazon.  She  had  a  natural  talent  which  owed  nothing, 
apparently,  to  study.  Noble,  naive,  graceful  and  piquant, 
she  had  twenty  faces,  and  always  suited  her  accent  to  the 
person  she  represented  at  the  time  ;  her  voice  was  rather 
weak,  but  it  did  for  tears,  laughter,  and  every  situation 
equally  well.  Gretry  and  Delagrac  worked  for  her,  and 
were  wuld  about  her,  and  so  was  I  also. 

Madame  Dugazon  was  a  Royalist  to  the  core,  and  gave 
a  strong  proof  of  that  to  the  public  at  an  advanced  period 
of  the  Revolution.    One  evening  as  she  was  acting  the 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


79 


soubrette  in  the  "  Evenements  Imprevus,"  the  Queen  at- 
tended the  representation,  and  in  a  duet  where  the  valet 
begins  by  saying  :  "  I  love  my  master  tenderly,"  Madame 
Dugazon,  who  had  to  reply  :  "  Ah  !  how  I  love  my  mis- 
tress," turned  towards  the  Queen's  box,  put  her  hand  on 
her  heart,  and  sang  her  reply  in  a  feeling  voice,  bowing  to 
the  Queen.  I  have  been  told  that  later  on  the  public — 
and  what  a  public  !  wished  to  be  revenged  on  her  for  this 
noble  act,  and  endeavoured  to  make  her  sing  some  hor- 
rible song,  which  they  delighted  in,  on  the  stage  ;  Madame 
Dugazon  would  not  yield,  but  left  the  theatre. 

The  length  of  this  letter  will  show  you,  dear  friend,  how 
much  I  liked  acting,  for  I  have  spared  you  few  details. 

Adieu. 


LETTER  IX. 

Chantilly — Le  Raincy — Madame  dc  Montesson — The  old  Princess  de 
Conti — Gennevilliers — Our  Plays — The  Marriage  of  Figaro — Beau- 
marchais — Monsieur  and  Madame  de  Villette — Moulin  Joli — Wate- 
let — M.  de  Morfontaine — The  Marquis  de  Montesquiou — My  Plor- 
oscope. 

O  my  great  regret,  I  was  unable  to  remain  long  in 
the  country  ;  but  I  often  spent  two  or  three 
days  there  at  a  time,  and  I  had  invitations  to 
all  the  most  beautiful  places  round  Paris.  I  saw  -the 
Chantilly  fetes,  organised  by  the  Prince  de  Conde,  who 
afterwards  returned  to  France  with  Louis  XVIIL,  and  who 
knew  so  well  how  to  do  the  honours  of  those  entertain- 
ments. You  know  the  beautiful  Chateau  at  Chantilly  ;  the 
long  gallery  was  adorned  with  armour  of  different  epochs, 
some  of  it  so  heavy  and  large  that  it  might  have  done 
for  giants  ;  it  was  a  splendid  decoration  for  the  abode  of 
the  descendants  of  the  great  Conde.  At  the  end  of  the 
gallery  was  the  cast  of  Henry  IV.,  taken  from  his  face 
after  his  death,  to  which  still  adhered  some  of  the  hair 
belonging  to  the  eyebrows  of  the  great  King.  I  do  not 
know  what  has  become  of  this  mask,  which  has  been 
often  reproduced  in  plaster  ;  the  armoury  was  pillaged  in 

80 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


8l 


the  Revolution,  and  a  good  deal  of  it  found  its  way  into 
museums. 

In  1782,  I  stayed  some  time  at  Raincy.  The  Due 
d'Orleans,  father  of  Philippe  Egalite,  who  then  lived 
there,  invited  me  to  take  his  portrait  and  that  of  Madame 
de  Montesson.  With  the  exception  of  the  large  hunts 
which  I  enjoyed  watching,  I  felt  rather  bored  at  Raincy  ; 
my  sittings  over,  I  had  no  congenial  society  except  that  of 
Madame  Bertholet,  a  very  pleasant  woman,  who  played 
well  on  the  harp.  Saint-Georges,  the  mulatto,  was  also 
amongst  the  sportsmen,  I  better  understood,  when  there, 
the  love  most  men,  and  especially  princes,  have  for  hunt- 
ing ;  this  amusement,  when  several  people  are  congregated, 
makes  a  fine  spectacle. 

Whilst  mentioning  this  visit,  I  cannot  recall  now  without 
laughing  a  peculiarity  of  those  days  which  at  the  time 
shocked  me  ;  whilst  Madame  de  Montesson  gave  me  a  sit- 
ting, the  old  Princesse  de  Conti  came  one  day  to  visit  her, 
and  this  Princess,  in  speaking  to  me,  called  me  always 
Miss.  I  was  then  expecting  the  birth  of  my  daughter, 
which  rendered  this  term  still  more  curious.  It  is  true 
that  formerly  all  the  great  ladies  spoke  so  to  their  inferi- 
ors, but  this  fashion  had  ceased  with  Louis  XV. 

If  I  did  not  enjoy  my  stay  at  Raincy  much,  I  did  when 
I  was  at  Gennevilliers,  which  made  up  for  it ;  this  place 
then  belonged  to  M.  le  Comte  de  Vaudreuil,  a  most 
charming  person. 

It  was  not  a  pretty  place,  and  had  been  bought  on  ac- 
count of  the  Comte  d'Artois,  because  of  there  being 
plenty  of  hunting  near,  and  M.  de  Vaudreuil  had  embel- 
4* 


82 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


lished  it  wonderfully.  The  house  was  tastefully  fur- 
nished, but  without  magnificence  ;  there  was  a  small 
theatre  also,  in  which  my  sister-in-law's  brother,  M.  de 
Riviere,  and  myself  often  acted  comic  operettas,  along 
with  Madame  Dugazon,  Garat,  Cailleau,  and  Laruette. 
These  two  last  had  retired  from  the  stage,  but  were  ad- 
mirable actors,  and  so  natural,  that  when  they  were  re- 
peating the  scene  of  the  two  fathers  in  Rose  and  Colas," 
I  believed  they  were  talking  together,  and  said  :  "  Come, 
do  begin  the  rehearsal." 

M.  le  Comte  d'Artois  and  his  friends  assisted  at  our 
plays.  I  confess  that  the  sight  of  these  great  people 
made  me  very  nervous,  so  that  I  refused  to  act  the  first 
time  they  came,  but  was  persuaded  to  go  on  with  my  part 
through  fear  of  disobliging  my  friends. 

The  last  play  acted  in  the  theatre  at  Gennevilliers  was 
a  representation  of  the  "  Marriage  de  Figaro,"  by  the 
actors  from  the  Comedie  Fran9aise.  I  remember  that 
Mademoiselle  Sainval  was  the  countess  and  Mademoiselle 
Olivier  the  page  ;  Beaumarchais  must  have  worried  M.  de 
Vaudreuil  into  permitting  such  a  very  doubtful  play  to  be 
performed  in  this  theatre.  The  dialogues,  couplets,  all 
were  against  the  Court,  of  which  most  of  the  audience 
was  composed,  not  to  speak  of  the  presence  of  our  excel- 
lent Prince. 

Every  one  felt  this  want  of  tact  ;  but  Beaumarchais 
was  wild  with  delight.  He  rushed  about  like  a  madman, 
and  on  some  one  complaining  of  the  heat,  he  did  not  give 
time  for  the  windows  to  be  opened,  but  broke  all  the 
panes  with  hig  cane,  which  annoyed  everyone  still  more. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


83 


The  Comte  de  Vaudreuil  must  have  repented  having 
accorded  his  protection  to  the  author  of  the  "  Marriage  de 
Figaro."  In  fact,  shortly  after  this  representation  Beau- 
marchais  requested  an  audience,  which  he  obtained  at 
onCe,  and  he  came  to  Versailles  at  such  an  early  hour  that 
the  Count  was  barely  out  of  bed.  He  then  began  to 
speak  of  some  financial  project  which  he  had  conceived, 
and  which  he  said  wauld  work  wonders  ;  and  then  he 
wound  up  by  proposing  to  give  M.  de  Vaudreuil  a  con- 
siderable sum  if  he  would  undertake  the  guidance  of  the 
affair.  "  Monsieur  de  Beaumarchais,"  he  replied,  "  you 
could  not  have  arrived  at  a  luckier  time  ;  for  I  have  passed 
a  good  night,  I  have  digested  well,  and  never  felt  better 
in  my  life ;  had  you  come  to  me  yesterday  with  such  a 
proposition  I  should  have  thrown  you  out  of  the  window." 

One  of  the  prettiest  country  seats  I  have  seen  was  Vil- 
lette.  The  Marquise  de  Villette,  surnamed  Good  and 
Beautiful,  having  begged  me  to  go  and  visit  them,  I  spent 
some  days  at  that  place  ;  we  came  upon  a  man  one  day 
who  was  painting  some 'railings  in  the  lovely  park,  he  was 
so  expeditious  that  M.  de  Villette  complimented  him  on 
it.  "  As  for  me,"  he  replied,  "  I  would  undertake  to 
efface  in  a  day  all  that  Rubens  painted  in  his  life." 

Madame  de  Villette  received  very  gracefully,  and  did 
well  the  honours  of  her  house ;  she  was  very  benevolent, 
and  had  a  circular  building  in  her  park,  where  I  was  in- 
formed she  collected  the  young  village  girls  and  instructed 
them  just  like  a  schoolmaster. 

Ah  !  dear  friend,  how  much  I  should  have  enjoyed 
walking  with  you  in  the  woods  of  Moulin  Joli  which  be- 


84 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


longed  to  one  of  my  acquaintances,  a  M.  Watelet,  a  great 
friend  of  art  and  author  of  a  poem  on  painting.  M.  Wa- 
telet was  a  distinguished  man,  with  a  kind  disposition, 
which  made  him  many  friends.  In  his  lonely  retreat  he 
seemed  in  harmony  with  all  his  surroundings  ;  he  enter- 
tained with  ease  and  simplicity,  and  had  a  small  but 
select  circle  of  friends.  He  had  living  with  him  a  friend 
to  whom  he  had  been  attached  for  thirty  years  :  time  had 
hallowed  their  union,  so  to  speak,  so  that  they  were  re- 
ceived together  in  the  best  company,  as  well  as  the  lady's 
husband,  who  strangely  enough,  never  left  her. 

Monsieur  de  Calonne,  who  gave  me  so  many  things,  as 
you  know,  was  also  supposed  to  have  given  me  Moulin 
Joli.  Ah  !  had  I  possessed  it  I  should,  I  believe,  never 
have  quitted  it.  My  greatest  regret,  on  the  contrary,  is 
that  I  did  not  buy  it  when  on  my  return  to  France  I 
found  it  was  for  sale  :  but  a  delay  in  the  remittance  of  my 
money  from  Russia  prevented  my  doing  so.  Moulin  Joli 
was  then  sold  for  eighty  thousand  francs  to  a  charcoal 
burner,  who  cut  down  all  the  trees  and  recouped  himself 
thereby  for  the  expense. 

Some  time  before  the  Revolution  I  went  to  Morfontaine, 
and  from  thence  we  made  an  excursion  to  Ermonville, 
where  I  saw  the  tomb  of  J.  J.  Rousseau.  The  notoriety 
of  this  fine  park  spoilt  the  excursion  for  me  ;  at  each  turn 
so  many  inscriptions  are  noticed,  that  all  one's  ideas  are 
destroyed. 

M.  de  Morfontaine  received  with  so  much  kindness  and 
simplicity  that  everyone  seemed  at  their  ease  with  him. 
The  Comte  de  VaudFeuil,  Le  Brun  (the  poet),  the  Cheva- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


85 


Her  de  Coigny,  Brongniart,  Robert  Riviere  and  my  brother 
acted  charades  every  evening,  and  kept  waking  each  other 
up  to  tell  them  ;  this  mirth  shows  how  much  liberty  was 
permitted  in  that  place.  In  real  truth,  order  was  as  much 
banished  as  restraint.  Fortunately  we  were  all  intimate, 
and  not  a  large  party,  for  I  never  saw  a  chateau  worse 
kept.  At  this  time  M.  Le  Pelletier  de  Morfontaine  was 
provost  of  merchants  ;  he  built  one  of  the  bridges  at  Paris, 
I  know  not  which  one.  I  remember  he  often  carried  in  a 
small  packet  a  little  slate,  on  which  he  wrote  whatever  he 
thought  funny  to  remember  to  say  to  people.  I  often 
tried  to  read  it  over  his  shoulder,  but  although  his  letters 
were  very  big,  I  never  could  make  out  a  word — his  writ- 
ing was  so  unformed ;  I  defy  his  inheritors  ever  to  partici- 
pate in  any  souvenirs  he  may  have  left. 

On  leaving  Morfontaine  for  Maupertuis,  one  could  not 
help  comparing  the  difference  between  these  two  fine 
houses.  At  Maupertuis  all  was  order  and  magnificence. 
M.  de  Montesquiou  kept  up  all  the  state  of  a  great  person- 
age. As  he  was  equerry  to  Monsieur  and  had  been  so 
since  the  death  of  Louis  XV.,  it  was  easy  for  him  to  put 
carriages  and  horses  at  our  disposal. 

The  mother  and  wife  of  M.  de  Montesquiou  were  very 
good  to  me.  His  sister-in-law,  who  afterwards  became 
governess  to  the  son  of  Napoleon,  was  kind,  natural  and 
very  amiable.  As  for  him,  I  have  often  seen  him  at  Paris, 
and  he  struck  me  as  being  witty  but  cold  ;  at  Maupertuis 
he  was  not  like  the  same  man ;  when  we  were  alone  he  . 
read  to  us  of  an  evening  most  charmingly. 

I  remember  one  evening  when  we  were  rather  a  small 


86  SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


party,  the  Marquis  de  Montesquieu  told  us  our  fortunes. 
He  foretold  me  that  I  should  live  long,  and  be  an  amiable 
old  lady  because  I  was  not  a  coquette.  Now  I  have  lived 
a  long  time,  but  am  I  an  amiable  old  lady  ?  I  doubt  it  ; 
but  at  least  I  am  a  loving  one,  for  I  love  you  dearly. 
Adieu. 


LETTER  X. 


The  Due  de  Nivernais — The  Marechal  de  Noailles — His  Speech  to 
Louis  XV. — Madame  du  Barri — Louveciennes — The  Due  de  Bris- 
sac — His  Death — Death  of  Madame  du  Barri. 

EAR  Friend,  I  dined  several  times  at  Saint- 
Ouen  with  the  Due  de  Nivernais,  who  had  a 
fine  place  there,  and  who  entertained  a  great 
deal.  He  was  always  renowned  for  the  ease  of  his  man- 
ner, and  was  distinguished  by  his  extreme  politeness  to- 
wards women  of  all  ages.  It  is  very  difficult  now-a-days 
to  give  any  idea  of  the  urbanity  and  graceful  ease  of  the 
manners  of  forty  years  ago,  which  then  were  the  great  charm 
of  Parisian  society.  This  politeness  of  which  I  speak  has 
totally  disappeared.  Women  reigned  then,  the  Revolu- 
tion dethroned  them. 

The  Due  de  Nivernais  was  small  and  very  thin.  Al- 
though very  old  when  I  knew  him,  he  was  still  full  of  vivac- 
ity. He  was  passionately  fond  of  poetry,  and  made  some 
very  good  verses.* 


*  Louis-Jules-Barbon-Maneini  Mazarini,  Due  de  Nivernais,  died  at 
the  age  of  eighty-two.  He  succeeded  Massillon  at  the  Academic 
Fran9aise,  and  shortly  after  became  a  Member  of  the  Academy  of 
Inscriptions  and  Literature. 

87 


88 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


I  dined  often  with  the  Marechal  de  Noailles  in  his  love- 
ly chateau  at  the  entrance  to  Saint  Germain.  He  was 
very  pleasant ;  his  wit  and  gaiety  communicated  itself  to 
all  his  guests,  whom  he  selected  from  amongst  the  most 
distinguished  literary  characters  and  court  celebrities. 

The  Marechal  de  Noailles  had  an  original  and  very 
piquant  mind.  He  rarely  resisted  a  desire  to  say  something 
cutting ;  it  was  he  who  replied  to  Louis  XV.,  when  eating 
some  olives  out  hunting,  which  he  found  bad  :  "  They  are 
from  the  bottom  of  the  cask,  Sire,  no  doubt." 

This  speech  carries  me  back  to  a  woman  of  whom  I 
have  not  yet  spoken,  a  woman  who,  though  belonging  to 
the  lowest  ranks  of  society,  passed  through  a  king's  palace, 
and  from  thence  to  the  scaffold,  and  whose  sad  end  makes 
one  forgive  the  scandal  attached  to  her  life. 

It  was  in  1786  that  I  went  for  the  first  time  to  Louve- 
ciennes,  where  I  had  promised  to  take  the  portrait  of 
Madame  du  Barri.  I  was  extremely  curious  to  see  this 
favourite  of  whom  I  had  so  often  heard.  Madame  du 
Barri  must  then  have  been  about  forty-five,  she  was  tall, 
but  not  too  much  so,  stout,  with  a  full  but  beautiful  figure  ; 
her  face  was  still  charming,  with  regular  and  pleasing  fea- 
tures ;  her  hair  was  fair  and  curly,  like  a  child's ;  her  com- 
plexion was  the  only  part  which  was  becoming  withered. 

She  received  me  very  gracefully,  and  seemed  to  me  to 
have  good  manners,  but  I  found  her  mind  more  natural 
than  her  manners  ;  her  glances  were  those  of  a  coquette, 
for  her  long  eyes  were  never  opened  wide,  and  her  pro- 
nunciation was  childish,  and  did  not  agree  well  with  her 
age.   She  gave  me  an  apartment  behind  the  weir  at  Marly, 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  89 

whose  dismal  noise  worried  me  dreadfully.  Underneath 
my  apartment  was  a  gallery,  in  which  were  placed,  with- 
out any  sort  of  order,,  busts,  vases,  columns,  the  rarest 
and  most  precious  marbles,  and  quantities  of  other  rare 
and  valuable  objects,  all  massed  together  in  confusion,  so 
that  one  might  have  believed  oneself  in  the  house  of  the 
mistress  of  several  sovereigns,  who  had  all  enriched  her 
with  their  gifts.  These  remains  of  magnificence  con- 
trasted strangely  with  the  simplicity  adopted  by  the  mis- 
tress of  the  house,  both  in  her  toilette  and  manner  of 
living. 

In  summer  as  in  winter  Madame  du  Barri  wore  only 
white  muslin  or  percale  dressing-gowns,  and  every  day, 
no  matter  what  the  weather  was  like,  she  walked  in  her 
park  or  outside  without  feeling  any  ill  effects,  so  much 
strengthened  was  she  by  her  country  life.  She  did  not 
keep  up  any  intercourse  with  the  large  court  which  had 
for  so  long  surrounded  her  ;  the  Portuguese  Ambassadress, 
the  beautiful  Madame  de  Souza,  and  the  Marquise  de 
Brunoy  were,  I  believe,  the  only  women  she  saw,  and  dur- 
ing my  three  visits  to  her,  at  different  times,  I  was  able  to 
satisfy  myself  that  few  people  troubled  her  solitude. 

I  often  met  M.  de  Monville  there,  an  amiable  and  very 
elegant  person,  who  took  us  into  a  place  called  the  desert, 
where  the  house  only  consisted  of  a  tower.  I  do  not  know 
why  the  Ambassadors  of  Tippoo  Saib  considered  them- 
selves obliged  to  visit  the  former  mistress  of  Louis  XV. 
Not  only  did  they  come  to  Louveciennes,  but  they  brought 
presents  to  Madame  du  Barri,  among  others  richly  em- 
broidered muslins.    She  gave  me  a  splendid  one  with 


90 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


large  detached  flowers,  in  which  both  gold  and  colours 
were  admirably  blended. 

In  the  evenings  we  were  often  alone,  seated  by  the  fire, 
Madame  du  Barri  and  myself.  She  often  talked  to  me 
about  Louis  XV.  and  his  court,  always  with  the  greatest 
respect  for  the  one  and  very  cautiously  about  the  other. 
But  she  avoided  all  details  ;  it  was  evident  that  she  pre- 
ferred not  to  mention  this  subject,  so  that  as  a  rule  her 
conversation  was  rather  flat.  Otherwise  she  was  a  good 
woman  both  in  words  and  action ;  she  was  very  benevolent 
and  succoured  all  the  poor  at  Louveciennes.  We  often 
went  together  and  visited  some  poor  person,  and  I  remem- 
ber even  now  how  justly  angry  she  was  when  at  the  bed- 
side of  a  woman  who  had  a  baby  and  was  in  great  want. 

"  What  !  "  said  Madame  du  Barri,  you  have  neither 
had  linen,  wine,  or  soup  ?  "  "  Alas  !  nothing,  Madame." 
As  soon  as  we  had  returned  to  the  chateau,  Madame  du 
Barri  ordered  up  her  housekeeper  and  the  other  servants 
who  had  not  done  what  she  had  ordered ;  she  was  extremely 
angry  with  them  and  made  them  arrange  a  parcel  of  linen 
in  her  presence,  and  take  it  at  once  to  the  poor  woman 
with  some  broth  and  Bordeaux  wine. 

Every  day  we  took  our  coffee  after  dinner  in  the  Pavil- 
lion,  so  renowned  for  the  taste  and  richness  of  its  orna- 
mentation. The  first  time  I  saw  it,  Madame  du  Barri 
said  :  "  It  was  in  this  saloon  that  Louis  XV.  did  me  the 
honour  to  dine ;  above  it  there  was  a  tribune  for  the  musi- 
cians and  singers  who  played  and  sang  during  the  repast." 
It  was  a  delightful  saloon  ;  the  view  was  splendid,  and  the 
chimney-pieces  and  doors  were  of  the  most  elaborate 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  9 1 

workmanship ;  the  locks  were  master-pieces  in  their  way, 
and  the  furniture  was  of  a  richness  and  elegance  beyond 
description. 

It  was  no  longer  Louis  XV.  who  reclined  on  the  mag- 
nificent couches,  it  was  the  Due  de  Brissac,  and  we  have 
often  left  him  there,  for  he  was  fond  of  his  siesta.  The 
Due  de  Brissac  lived  altogether  at  Louveciennes ;  but 
nothing,  either  in  his  manners  or  those  of  Madame  du 
Barri  would  have  caused  anyone  to  suppose  that  he  was 
more  than  the  friend  of  the  mistress  of  the  house.  It  was 
easy  to  see  though  that  a  tender  affection  united  these 
two,  and  perhaps  this  attachment  cost  them  their  lives. 
When,  before  the  Terror,  Madame  du  Barri  went  to  Eng- 
land to  seek  for  her  stolen  diamonds,  which  she  found 
there,  the  English  had  received  her  cordially  and  did  their 
utmost  to  prevent  her  returning  to  France  ;  in  fact  at  the 
last  her  friends  unharnessed  her  post-horses  to  make  her 
^  stay ;  it  was  only  her  desire  to  join  the  Due  de  Brissac 
who  she  had  left  concealed  at  *Louveciennes,  which  made 
her  resist  the  instances  of  her  friends  to  keep  her  in  Lon- 
don, where  she  might  have  lived  in  ease  from  the  sale  of 
her  diamonds.  Unfortunately  for  her  she  quitted  Eng- 
land, and  rejoined  the  Due  de  Brissac  at  Louveciennes. 
Shortly  after,  the  duke  was  arrested  before  her  eyes,  and 
taken  to  prison  at  Orleans.  From  thence  they  fetched  him 
and  three  others,  to  lead  to  Versailles,  as  they  said  ;  all 
four  were  put  in  a  tumbril  and  had  barely  got  half  way 
there  when  they  were  shamefully  massacred  ! 

The  bleeding  head  of  the  Due  de  Brissac  was  carried 
to  Madame  du  Barri.    You  can  imagine  what  that  unhappy 


92 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


woman  must  have  felt  at  the  sight  !  It  was  not  long  before 
she  experienced  the  same  fate,  reserved  for  everybody 
who  possessed  any  fortune  or  a  great  name.  She  was  be- 
trayed and  denounced  by  a  little  negro,  called  Zamore,  of 
whom  mention  is  made  in  the  memoirs  of  those  times,  as 
having  been  most  kindly  treated  both  by  her  and  by  Louis 
XV.  Arrested  and  imprisoned,  Madame  du  Barri  was 
judged  and  condemned  to  death  by  the  revolutionary  tri- 
bunal at  the  end  of  1793.  She  is  the  only  woman,  amongst 
the  numbers  of  women  who  perished  in  those  days,  who 
was  unable  to  face  the  scaffold  ;  she  wept,  she  implored 
mercy  from  the  horrible  crowd  which  surrounded  her,  and 
that  crowd  was  so  affected  by  her  entreaties  that  the  exe- 
cutioner hastened  to  put  an  end  to  her  agony.  I  am  con- 
vinced that  had  the  victims  of  that  awful  time  not  died  so 
courageously,  the  Terror  would  have  ceased  much  sooner. 
Men  whose  intellects  are  not  fully  developed  have  too  little 
imagination  to  feel  touched  by  internal  suffering,  and  the 
pity  of  the  populace  is  more  easily  aroused  than  its  ad- 
miration. 

I  made  three  portraits  of  Madame  du  Barri.  In  the  first 
place  I  represented  her  in  a  peignoir,  with  a  straw  hat ;  in 
the  second  she  is  robed  in  white  satin,  holding  a  crown  in 
one  hand  and  with  one  arm  resting  on  a  pedestal.  I 
painted  this  picture  very  carefully  ;  it  was  destined  for  the 
Due  de  Brissac,  as  was  the  other  also,  and  I  have  seen  it 
recently.  The  old  general  to  whom  it  belonged  had  the 
head  touched  up,  for  it  is  not  like  the  one  I  did  ;  this  one 
is  rouged  up  to  the  eyes,  and  Madame  du  Barri  never  wore 
any  at  all.    I  renounce  therefore  any  connection  with  this 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  93 

head,  which  is  not  mine  ;  the  rest  of  the  painting  is  intact 
and  well  preserved.  It  was  sold  at  the  death  of  the  above 
mentioned  general. 

The  third  portrait  I  made  of  Madame  du  Barri  is  in  my 
own  house ;  I  commenced  it  towards  the  end  of  1789.  We 
heard  continual  cannonading  at  Louveciennes,  and  I  re- 
member the  poor  woman  saying :  "  Had  Louis  XV.  been 
alive,  surely  this  would  not  have  happened."  I  had  painted 
the  head  and  traced  out  the  bust  and  arms,  when  I  was  • 
obliged  to  return  to  Paris  ;  I  hoped  to  be  able  to  go  back 
again  to  Louveciennes  and  finish  my  work  ;  but  Berthier 
and  Foulon  had  just  been  assassinated.  My  terror  was  very 
great  and  I  only  thought  of  how  to  leave  France  ;  I  there- 
fore left  this  picture  unfinished.  I  do  not  know  by  what 
chance  M.  le  Comte  Louis  de  Narbonne  became  the  pos- 
sessor during  my  absence  ;  on  my  return  to  France  he  re- 
stored it  to  me,  and  I  have  just  completed  it.* 

The  sad  contents  of  this  letter  warn  me  that  I  have  ar- 
rived at  a  period  of  my  existence  of  which  I  could  wish 
to  lose  all  knowledge  and  all  memory,  had  I  not  promised 
you  a  sincere  and  complete  recital  of  my  life ;  no  more 
gaiety,  Greek  suppers,  or  comedies,  but  days  of  anguish 
and  fear,  which  I  shall  relate  in  my  next  letters. 

Adieu,  dear  friend. 


*  We  do  not  know  the  name  of  the  present  proprietor  of  this  por- 
trait, but  we  know  that  Madame  Tripier  Le  Franc  has  made  a  very 
beautiful  copy. 


LETTER  XI. 


Romainville — Marechal  de  Segur — Malmaison — Madame  le  Couteux- 
du-Moley — Abbe  Sieyes — Madame  Auguier — Madame  Campan — 
Madame  Rousseau — The  first  Dauphin. 

CANNOT  recall  the  last  visits  I  made  without 
some  unpleasant  memories  mingling  with  those 
of  happier  moments  :  in  1788,  for  instance,  I 
went  with  Robert  to  spend  a  few  days  at  Romainville, 
with  the  Marechal  de  Segur.  During  our  journey  we 
noticed  that  the  peasants  no  longer  took  off  their  hats,  on 
the  contrary,  they  looked  sullenly  at  us,  and  some  even 
menaced  us  with  their  sticks.  When  we  reached  our  des- 
tination we  were  witnesses  of  a  most  terrible  storm.  The 
sky  was  yellow,  tinted  with  dark  grey,  and  when  these 
fearful  clouds  broke  there  burst  forth  sheets  of  lightning, 
and  heavy  thunder,  accompanied  by  such  enormous  hail 
stones,  that  the  environs  of  Paris  were  ravaged  for  forty 
leagues  round.  Madame  de  Segur  and  myself  gazed  at 
each  other  with  shuddering  during  this  storm  ;  we  seemed 
to  foresee  that  gloomy  day,  the  evils  of  which  without  be- 
ing a  fortune-teller  one  could  easily  have  foretold. 

The  evening  and  the  next  day  we  all  went  with  the 
Marechal  to  behold  the  ravages  made  by  the  storm. 
Wheat,  vines  and  fruit  trees  had  been  completely  destroyed. 

94 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  95 

The  peasants  were  weeping  and  wringing  their  hands. 
Everyone  did  their  utmost  to  succour  these  unfortunate 
creatures  ;  the  larger  landowners  gave  away  sums  of  money 
— one  very  rich  man  distributed  forty  thousand  francs 
amongst  the  sufferers  ;  to  the  shame  of  humanity,  be  it 
said,  that  he  was  one  of  the  first  who  were  massacred  by 
the  bloodthirsty  revolutionists. 

I  spent  a  fortnight  at  Malmaison  during  that  summer  of 
1788;  it  then  belonged  to  the  Comtesse  du  Moley,  a  pretty 
fashionable  woman  not  particularly  clever  herself,  but  who 
appreciated  wit  in  others.  Comte  Olivares  was  living 
with  her  at  the  time,  and  she  had  had  an  inscription 
placed  for  him  at  the  beginning  of  a  road,  leading  to  the 
top  of  the  park,  with  "Sierra  Morena"  written  on  it. 
Olivares  was  not  exactly  a  pleasant  person.  The  most 
striking  thing  about  him  was  his  dirt ;  his  pockets  were 
full  of  Spanish  tobacco,  and  he  used  them  instead  of  a 
snuff-box. 

The  Due  de  Crillon  and  dear  Abbe  Delille  came  often 
to  Malmaison.  Madame  du  Moley  was  very  fond  of  soli- 
tary walks,  and  my  taste  agreed  with  hers  ;  so  that  we  had 
arranged  that  we  would  carry  a  branch  of  green  stuff  in 
our  hands  if  we  did  not  wish  to  speak  to  each  other,  or  to 
meet.  I  never  walked  without  my  branch,  but  I  quickly 
threw  it  away  when  I  perceived  the  Abbe  Delille. 

In  June,  1789,  I  was  dining  ^  Malmaison,  and  met  the 
Abbe  Sieyes  and  several  other  partisans  of  the  Revolution. 
M.  du  Moley  ranted  against  the  aristocracy  ;  everybody 
yelled  and  declaimed  on  different  topics,  enough  to  have 
created  a  general  disturbance  ;  it  was  like  a  revolutionary 


96 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


club,  and  these  conversations  made  me  very  uncomforta- 
ble. After  dinner  Abbe  Sieyes  observed  to  someone,  I 
forget  whom  :  I  really  believe  we  shall  go  too  far/*  "  They 
will  go  so  far  that  they  will  lose  their  way,"  said  I,  to 
Madame  du  Moley,  who  had  heard  what  the  Abbe  had 
said,  and  felt  distressed  at  such  sinister  forebodings. 

About  the  same  time  I  went  to  spend  a  few  days  at 
Marly  with  Madame  Auguier,  a  sister  of  Madame  Campan, 
and  attached  to  the  Queen's  household  like  herself.  She 
had  a  chateau  and  fine  park  near  the  weir.  One  day  as 
we  were  standing  at  a  window  looking  on  to  the  court, 
and  from  thence  to  the  high  road,  we  saw  a  drunken  man 
enter  and  fall  down.  Madame  Auguier,  with  her  usual 
kindness,  called  to  her  husband's  valet  and  told  him  to 
pick  up  this  unfortunate  creature,  take  him  to  the  kitchen 
and   look  after  him.      Soon  after   the  valet  returned. 

Madame  is  really  too  kind,"  said  he,  "  this  man  is  a  mis- 
creant !  here  are  the  papers  he  let  fall  from  his  pocket." 
And  he  placed  in  our  hands  several  documents,  of  which 
one  began  with  :  "  Down  with  the  Royal  Family  !  down 
with  the  nobles  and  priests  ! "  then  followed  revolutionary 
litanies  and  thousands  of  atrocious  prophecies,  drawn  up 
in  language  which  made  one's  hair  stand  on  end.  Madame 
Auguier  had  the  village  guards  called  up,  four  of  these 
soldiers  came  ;  she  desired  them  to  take  this  man  away 
and  find  out  more  about  him  :  they  led  him  off,  but  the 
valet,  who  followed  them  for  some  distance,  without  their 
knowledge,  saw  them,  as  soon  as  they  were  out  of  sight, 
take  their  prisoner  by  the  arm  and  jump,  sing  and  dance 
with  him  as  though  they  were  the  best  of  friends.  This 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  9/ 

terrified  us  ;  what  was  to  become  of  us  if  the  civil  guard 
even  lent  itself  to  the  cause  of  the  wicked  ? 

I  advised  Madame  Auguier  to  show  these  papers  to  the 
Queen,  and  a  few  days  after,  being  on  duty  again,  she 
read  them  to  Her  Majesty,  who  returned  them,  saying  : 
"  It  is  impossible  that  they  should  meditate  such  wicked- 
ness, I  shall  never  believe  them  capable  of  it !  " 

Alas  !  subsequent  events  have  shown  the  fallacy  of  this 
noble  doubt ;  and,  not  to  speak  of  the  august  victim  who 
'    would  not  believe  in  such  horrors,  poor  Madame  Auguier 
herself  was  destined  to  pay  for  her  devotion  with  her 
life. 

This  devotion  never  wavered.  In  the  worst  times  of 
the  Revolution,  knowing  the  Queen  was  without  money, 
she  insisted  on  lending  her  twenty-five  louis.  The  Revo- 
lutionists heard  of  it  and  went  to  the  Tuileries  to  take  her 
to  prison,  or  in  other  words  to  the  guillotine.  When  she 
beheld  them  coming  furiously  towards  her  with  menaces 
on  their  lips,  Madame  Auguier  preferred  a  speedy  death 
to  the  agony  of  falling  into  their  hands  ;  she  threw  herself 
out  of  the  window  and  was  killed. 

I  have  known  few  women  more  beautiful  or  pleasing 
than  was  Madame  Auguier.  She  was  tall  and  well  made  ; 
she  had  a  fresh  face  with  a  pink  and  white  complexion,  and 
lovely  eyes  full  of  sweetness  and  goodness.  She  left  two 
daughters,  whom  I  have  known  since  they  were  children 
at  Marly.  One  married  Marshal  Ney  ;  the  second  M. 
Debroc.  This  last  one  died  very  young  and  very  un- 
fortunately ;  as  she  was  travelling  with  Madame  Louis>  Bo- 
naparte, an  intimate  friend,  she  attempted  in  an  excursion 
5 


98 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


to  Ancenis  to  cross  a  deep  crevice  on  a  plank ;  the  plank 
gave  way,  and  the  poor  thing  was  killed  in  the  chasm. 

Madame  Aiiguier  had  two  sisters  ;  one  was  the  Madame 
Campan,  well  known  as  first  lady  in  waiting  to  the  Queen, 
and  the  clever  directress  of  the  educational  establishment 
at  St.  Germain,  where  all  the  celebrities  of  the  Empire 
had  their  daughters  educated.  I  knew  Madame  Campan 
at  Versailles,  when  she  enjoyed  the  greatest  favour  and 
confidence  of  the  Queen.  I  never  doubted  that  she 
would  ever  feel  grateful  to  her  august  mistress  for  her 
kindness,  when,  during  my  sojourn  at  St.  Petersburg,  you 
must  remember  that  one  evening  I  heard  her  accused  of 
having  abandoned  and  betrayed  the  Queen.  I  stood  up 
warmly  for  her  against  this  calumnious  report,  and  repeat- 
edly said  that  it  could  not  be  true.  Two  years  later,  on 
my  return  to  France,  I  received  a  few  days  after  my  ar- 
rival the  following  letter  from  Madame  Campan,  which  I 
copy  so  that  you  may  be  made  aware  of  what  I  consider  to 
be  a  very  truthful  justification. 

"  Saint  Germain, 
"  This  27th  of  January,  old  style. 

"  You  said  when  far  away  from  me,  dear  lady,  *  It 
could  not  be  true  !  '  Goodness,  sense,  and  kindness  formed 
your  opinion  ;  and  these  rare  qualities,  rare  in  our  days 
are  happily  for  me  united  with  still  rarer  talents  in  your- 
self ;  I  feel  deeply  your  kind  speech  on  my  behalf.  How, 
indeed,  could  you  believe  that  I  should  ever  waver  an  in- 
stant in  my  sentiments,  opinions,  and  .  devotion  to  the 
unfortunate  being  who  did  her  utmost  for  my  happiness 
and  that  of  my  family  ?    I  have  had,  on  the  contrary,  the 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  99 

pleasure  of  giving  her  proofs  of  a  gratitude  which  she  had 
a  right  to  expect.  My  poor  sister  Auguier  and  myself, 
although  I  was  not  on  service,  faced  death  rather  than 
quit  her  that  ever  memorable  and  terrible  night  of  the 
loth  of  August.  Saved  from  this  massacre,  but  hiding 
and  dying  of  fear  in  different  houses  in  Paris,  we  gathered 
strength  enough  to  reach  the  Feuillants,  and  be  with  her 
again  in  her  first  detention  at  the  Assemblee.  Petion 
alone  parted  us  from  her,  when  we  wished  to  follow  her  to 
the  Tuileries.  After  such  true  and  natural  acts,  for  which 
I  take  no  praise  to  myself,  how,  will  you  say,  could  any- 
one be  so  strangely  calumniated  ?  Was  I  not  to  be  made 
to  pay  dear  for  the  marked  and  prolonged  favour  of  so 
many  years  ?  Is  favour  ever  forgiven  in  a  court,  even 
when  it  falls  upon  a  servant  ?  They  wished  to  make  the 
Queen  think  badly  of  me,  that  was  all.  They  will  not 
succeed,  for  some  day  people  will  know  how  much  she 
trusted  and  confided  in  me  in  most  important  matters.  I 
must  nevertheless  affirm,  so  as  not  to  be  misunderstood, 
my  real  feelings  as  regarded  the  plan  of  emigration  which 
I  considered  as  fatal  to  the  emigrants,  but  even  more  so, 
in  my  ideas  at  that  time,  to  the  welfare  of  Louis  XVI. 
Whilst  living  in  the  Tuileries  I  was  struck  by  this  fact, 
that  it  was  only  a  quarter  of  a  league  from  that  palace 
to  the  insurgent  faubourgs,  and  a  hundred  leagues  from 
Coblentz  or  the  protecting  armies.  Women  are  by  nature 
talkative,  and  I  stated  too  often  and  too  openly  my  opin- 
ion of  this  plan,  which  in  those  days  was  the  hope  of 
everybody.  A  very  different  sentiment  from  any  criminal 
and  foolish  wish,  for  a  fearful  resolution  dictated  my  fears. 


100  SOUVENIRS  OF 

Time  has  only  too  well  justified  them  ;  and  the  countless 
victims  of  that  project  ought  not  to  impute  as  a  crime  to 
me  what  I  said  at  the  time. 

"  But  now  I  am  living  in  another  sphere  ;  I  have  given 
myself  up  completely  to  my  work,  with  a  peaceful  and  un- 
troubled conscience.  I  have  long  wished  you  to  see  my 
method  of  education,  to  receive  and  welcome  you  as  a 
sincere  and  precious  friend.  Come  some  day  with  the  in- 
teresting and  unfortunate  Rousseau,  and  it  will  be  a  joy- 
ful day  for  me.  Believe  in  my  esteem,  gratitude  and 
affection,  ever  your  friend, 

"Genet  Campan," 

Madame  Auguier  had  another  sister,  besides  Madame 
Campan,  called  Rousseau,  a  very  agreeable  woman  whom 
the  Queen  had  placed  in  the  household  of  the  first 
Dauphin  and  who  often  entertained  us  during  my  court 
sittings.  Madame  Rousseau  left  a  son,  known  under  the 
name  of  Amedee  de  Beauplan,  a  very  good  musician. 
Madame  Rousseau  was  so  dear  to  the  young  prince,  that 
the  charming  child  said  to  her  two  days  before  his  death, 
"  I  love  thee  so  much,  Rousseau,  that  I  shall  still  love 
thee  after  I  am  dead." 

Madame  Rousseau's  husband  was  fencing  master  to  the 
Enfants  de  France  ;  being  as  it  were  doubly  attached  to  the 
Royal  Family,  he  could  not  escape  death  ;  he  was  taken 
prisoner  and  guillotined.  I  have  heard  that  when  the  sen- 
tence was  passed,  the  judge  had  the  atrocity  to  call  out  : 
"  Fence  that,  Rousseau,  if  you  can  !  " 

Whilst  relating  these  horrors,  I  am  encroaching  on  the 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


lOI 


Space  I  have  left  to  tell  you  of  my  life  up  to  the  day  I 
left  France.  I  shall  resume  in  my  next  letter  the  account 
of  the  sad  events  which  caused  me  to  flee  from  my  country, 
and  seek  for  safety  in  foreign  lands.    Adieu,  dear  friend. 


LETTER  XII. 


1789 — I  take  refuge  with  Brongniart — MM.  de  Sombreuil — Pamela 
— The  5th  of  October — The  Royal  Family  are  taken  from  Ver- 
sailles— I  leave  Paris — My  Companions  in  the  diligence — I  cross 
the  mountains." 


HE  dreadful  year  of  1789  began,  and  fear  had 
taken  hold  of  the  wisest  amongst  us.  I  re- 
member one  evening  having  invited  some 
friends  for  a  concert,  and  they  arrived  with  consternation 
depicted  on  their  faces  ;  they  had  been  that  morning 
tp  Longchamps  ;  the  populace,  assembled  at  the  Barriere 
de  I'Etoile,  had  abused  them  horribly,  especially  those 
who  were  driving — some  wretches  sprang  on  to  the  car- 
riage steps  calling  out  :  "  Next  year  you  will  be  behind 
your  carriages,  and  we  shall  be  inside  !  "  and  many  other 
still  worse  speeches  ;  these  incidents  cast  a  gloom  over 
my  party,  as  you  can  suppose — the  person  least  terrified 
was  Madame  de  Villette,  Voltaire's  beauty.  As  for  me,  I 
had  no  occasion  to  be  told  of  fresh  details  on  the  horrors 
which  were  being  prepared.  I  know  well  that  my  house, 
Rue  du  Gros  Chenet,  where  I  had  not  lived  for  more  than 
three  months,  was  marked  by  the  miscreants.    They  threw 

sulphur  into  our  cellars  through  the  gratings.    If  I  stood 

102 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


103 


at  the  window,  brutal  sansculottes  shook  their  fists  at  me. 
I  heard  all  sorts  of  sinister  rumours  on  every  side,  and 
lived  in  a  continual  state  of  anxiety  and  despair. 

My  health  suffered  so  much,  that  two  good  friends, 
Brongniart,  the  architect,  and  his  wife,  when  they  came  to 
see  me,  found  me  looking  so  ill  and  thin  that  they  implored 
me  to  come  and  spend  a  few  days  with  them,  which  offer 
I  accepted  with  gratitude.  Brongniart  lodged  in  the  In- 
valides  ;  I  was  taken  there  by  a  doctor  attached  to  the 
Palais  Royal,  whose  servants  wore  the  Orleans  livery,  the 
only  one  respected  in  those  days.  They  gave  me  the  best 
bed.  As  I  could  not  eat  anything,  they  fed  me  with  ex- 
cellent Bordeaux  wine  and  soup,  and  Madame  Brong- 
niart never  left  me.  So  much  care  ought  to  have  done  me 
good,  seeing  too  that  my  friends  did  not  think  as  badly  of 
affairs  as  I  did  ;  but  they  could  not  reassure  me  against 
the  evils  I  foresaw.  What  was  the  use  of  living  ?  or  of 
taking  care  of  oneself  ?  said  I  often  to  my  friends,  for 
terror  of  the  future  made  me  take  a  disgust  to  life,  and 
yet  my  liveliest  imagination  never  went  as  far  as  the  reality. 
Afterwards  I  remember  having  supper  with  Brongniart 
and  the  excellent  M.  de  Sombreuil,  then  Governor  of  the 
Invalides,  being  one  of  the  guests  ;  he  told  us  that  they 
were  coming  to  take  possession  of  the  arms  at  the  depot, 
but  added  that  he  had  hidden  them  so  well  that  he  defied 
them  to  discover  them.  The  worthy  man  did  not  know 
that  the  only  person  to  be  relied  on  was  oneself.  As  the 
arms  were  taken  away,  he  was  of  course  betrayed  by  one 
of  the  inmates  of  the  establishment  whom  he  had  em- 
ployed. 


104 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


M.  de  Sombreuil,  as  much  respected  for  his  moral  quali- 
ties as  for  his  military  talents,  was  imprisoned  with  those 
who  were  massacred  in  the  prisons  on  the  2nd  of  Septem- 
ber. The  assassins  spared  his  life  owing  to  the  tears  and 
supplications  of  his  heroic  daughter,  but  atrocious  even  in 
their  mercy  they  foi'ced  Mademoiselle  de  Sombreuil  to 
drink  a  glass  of  the  blood  that  was  flowing  in  the  prison  ; 
and  for  long  afterwards  the  sight  of  anything  red 
would  make  the  unfortunate  girl  retch  dreadfully  !  Later 
on  in  1794,  M.  de  Sombreuil  was  sent  to  the  scaffold  by 
the  revolutionary  tribunal.  These  two  circumstances  in- 
spired the  poet  Legouve  with  the  finest  of  his  verses 

"  Des  bourreaux  I'ont  absous,  des  juges  I'ont  frappe." 

M.  de  Sombreuil  left  a  son,  distinguished  for  his  gallan- 
try and  character.  He  commanded  one  of  the  English 
regiments  at  Quiberon  in  1795.  The  National  Convention 
having  violated  the  capitulation  signed  by  General  Hoche, 
M.  de  Sombreuil  received  death  like  a  brave  man  ;  he 
would  not  allow  his  eyes  to  be  bandaged  and  gave  the 
order  to  fire.  Tallien  at  the  time  of  execution  said  to 
him  :  "  Monsieur,  you  belong  to  an  unlucky  family."  "I 
had  intended  to  avenge  them,"  repHed  M.  de  Sombreuil, 
"but  I  can  only  follow  their  example." 

Madame  Brongniart  took  me  to  w^alk  behind  the  Inva- 
lides ;  some  masons  were  standing  near.  As  we  were  sitting 
against  one  of  the  walls,  wx  heard  two  men  talking 
amongst  them  who  could  not  see  us.  "  Will  you  earn  ten 
francs  ? "  said  one,  "  come  with  us,  you  will  only  have 
to  shout :  Down  with  this  one  !  or  that !  and  especially  to 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


105 


shout  against  Cayonne."  "Ten  frances  are  worth  hav- 
ing," rephed  the  other,  "but  should  we  get  no  blows  our- 
selves ?  "  "  Get  away  !  "  retorted  the  first,  "  we  should  be 
the  ones  to  give  them."  You  may  imagine  the  effect  of 
such  a  dialogue  on  me  ! 

The  day  after  the  one  I  speak  of,  we  were  passing  be- 
fore the  grating  of  the  Invalides  where  a  large  crowd  was 
assembled  of  the  hideous  creatures  who  haunted  the  gal- 
leries of  the  Palais  Royal ;  all  people  of  no  occupation,  in 
rags  and  tatters,  neither  workmen  or  peasants,  no  name 
could  be  given  them  unless  it  were  that  of  bandits,  so  ter- 
rifying were  their  faces.  Madame  Brongniart  who  was 
more  courageous  than  myself,  sought  to  reassure  me  ;  but 
I  was  so  frightened  that  I  turned  back  to  the  house,  w^hen 
we  saw  in  the  distance  a  young  woman  on  horseback,  in  a 
riding  habit  and  hat  with  long  black  feathers.  Immedi- 
ately the  crowd  parted  and  made  way  for  her;  she  was  fol- 
lowed by  two  grooms  in  the  Orleans  livery.  I  at  once  re- 
cognised the  lovely  Pamela,  who  had  been  introduced  to 
me  by  Madame  de  Genlis.  She  was  in  the  zenith  of  her 
beauty  and  was  really  exquisite  ;  we  heard  the  band  of 
ruffians  shout :  There  is  the  one  we  must  have  for  our 
queen  !  "  Pamela  kept  pacing  to  and  fro  amongst  this 
disgusting  crowd  which  saddened  me  much.  She  after- 
wards married  Lord  Fitzgerald,  who  is  now  dead ;  she  is 
still  living  but  is  much  altered. 

Shortly  after  I  returned  to  my  home,  but  I  could  not 
live  there.  Society  was  at  a  standstill,  and  honest  folks  had 
no  support ;  for  the  National  Guard  was  so  curiously  com- 
posed, that  the  spectacle  it  afforded  was  as  strange  as  it 


io6 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


was  horrible.  Fear  seemed  to  cast  a  gloom  over  all ;  I 
have  noticed  since,  that  the  generation  born  during  the 
revolution  is  much  less  robust  than  the  one  preceding : 
how  many  sickly  and  suffering  children  must  have  been 
brought  into  the  world  during  that  sad  time  ! 

M.  de  Riviere,  charge-d'affaires  to  the  Saxon  court, 
whose  daughter  married  my  brother,  offered  me  his  hospi- 
tality, and  I  spent  at  least  two  weeks  with  him.  It  was 
there  the  busts  of  the  Due  d'Orleans  and  M.  Necker  were 
brought,  followed  by  an  immense  crowd,  loudly  proclaim- 
ing that  one  should  be  their  king  and  the  other  their  pro- 
tector. The  evening  these  honest  folks  came,  they  set  fire 
to  the  barriere  which  was  at  the  end  of  the  Rue  Chaussee 
d'Antin,  where  we  lived,  and  then  they  unpaved  the 
streets  and  set  up  barricades,  shouting  "  Here  are  the 
enemy,"  The  enemy  never  came  ;  alas !  they  were  in 
Paris. 

Although  M.  de  Riviere  treated  me  as  one  of  his  own 
children,  and  I  believed  myself  to  be  safe  under  his  protec- 
tion, since  he  was  a  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  I  had  quite 
decided  on  leaving  France.  I  had  long  desired  to  go  to 
Rome.  The  number  of  portraits  I  had  undertaken  had 
alone  prevented  my  doing  so  before  ;  but  if  ever  the  time 
for  my  departure  was  to  come  it  had  come  then,  I  could 
no  longer  paint  !  my  imagination  was  so  dazed  by  the 
horrors  I  saw  that  it  ceased  to  influence  my  art :  and,  be- 
sides, wicked  libels  were  showered  on  my  friends  and  on 
myself,  alas  !  and  although,  thank  God  !  I  had  done  harm 
to  no  one,  I  was  in  the  place  of  the  man  who  said  :  "  I 
am  accused  of  having  taken  away  the  towers  of  Notre 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


107 


Dame  ;  they  are  in  their  places  ;  but  go  I  must,  for  it  is 
plain  I  have  given  offence  somehow." 

I  left  several  unfinished  portraits,  amongst  others,  that 
of  Mademoiselle  Contat  ;  I  refused  to  paint  Mademoiselle 
de  Laborde,  afterwards  Duchesse  de  Noailles,  v/hose 
father  ..desired  her  portrait;  she  was  barely  sixteen  and 
very  lovely  ;  but  it  was  no  longer  a  question  of  success  or 
fortune,  it  was  a  question  of  saving  one's  head.  There- 
fore I  had  my  carriage  packed,  and  had  my  passport  for 
leaving  the  next  day  with  my  daughter  and  her  gover- 
ness, when  my  room  was  entered  by  a  number  of  armed 
National  Guards,  most  of  them  drunk,  and  with  dreadful 
countenances.  Some  came  up  to  me  and  spoke  in  coarse 
language,  and  said  "  You  shall  not  leave,  citoyenne,  you 
shall  not  leave  ;  "  at  last  they  departed.  I  was  left  in  a 
most  miserable  condition,  when  I  saw  two  return  whose 
faces  did  not  terrify  me  ;  although  they  were  of  the  band, 
I  soon  perceived  they  meant  no  harm.  "  Madame,"  said 
one,  "  we  are  your  neighbours,  we  advise  you  to  leave  as 
quickly  as  possible.  You  cannot  live  here,  you  are  so 
altered  that  we  are  quite  concerned  for  you.  But  do  not 
leave  in  your  carriage ;  go  by  the  diligence,  it  is  much 
safer." 

I  thanked  them  heartily,  and  followed  their  good  advice. 
I  engaged  three  places,  as  I  wished  to  take  my  daughter, 
then  five  or  six  years  old  ;  but  I  could  not  get  my  places 
for  a  fortnight,  as  all  who  emigrated  like  myself  went  in 
the  diligence. 

I  was  so  altered  that,  the  eve  of  my  departure,  having 
gone  to  see  my  mother  to  wish  her  goodbye,  she  only  re- 


io8 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


cognised  me  from  my  voice  ;  yet  it  was  only  three  weeks 
since  we  had  met. 

At  last  the  welcome  day  arrived,  it  was  the  5th  of 
October  ;  the  King  and  Queen  were  brought  from  Ver- 
sailles to  Paris  amidst  pikes  !  my  brother  witnessed  the 
arrival  of  their  Majesties  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville  ;  he  heard 
M.  Bailly's  discourse,  and  as  he  knew  that  I  was  to  leave 
that  evening  he  came  to  see  me  about  ten  o'clock. 
Never,  said  he,  had  the  Queen  looked  more  majestic  than 
to-day,  when  she  entered  amidst  these  demons.  Then  he 
told  me  the  beautiful  answer  she  had  made  to  M.  Bailly, 
"  I  know  all,  I  have  seen  all,  and  I  forgive  all."  The 
events  of  that  day  caused  me  great  anxiety  on  account  of 
their  Majesties  and  for  all  decent  people,  so  that  at  mid- 
night I  was  dragged  to  the  diligence  in  a  most  miserable 
state  of  mind.  I  feared  passing  the  Faubourg  St.  An- 
toine,  which  I  was  forced  to  do,  to  reach  the  Barriere  du 
Trone.  My  brother  Robert  and  my  husband  accom- 
panied me  to  the  barriere,  and  never  left  the  diligence. 
This  faubourg,  of  which  we  were  so  fearful,  was  perfectly 
quiet ;  all  its  inhabitants,  workmen  and  others  had  been  to 
Versailles  to  fetch  the  Royal  Family,  and  the  fatigue  of 
the  journey  had  made  them  sleepy. 

I  had  in  front  of  me  in  the  diligence  a  very  dirty  and 
odoriferous  man,  who  quietly  informed  me  he  had  stolen 
several  watches  and  other  objects.  Fortunately,  he  saw 
nothing  on  me  likely  to  tempt  him  ;  for  I  took  but  little 
linen  with  me,  and  eighty  louis  for  my  journey.  I  left 
all  my  trinkets  at  Paris,  and  the  proceeds  of  my  labours 
were  in  my  husband's  possession,  who,  as  I  have  said  be- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 09 

fore,  spent  it  all.  I  lived,  whilst  abroad,  on  the  portraits 
I  took.  Far  from  M.  Le  Brun  ever  sending  me  money, 
he  wrote  me  most  dismal  letters  on  his  poverty,  so  that  I 
once  sent  him  a  thousand  ecus,  and  another  time  a  hun- 
dred louis,  besides  sending  equal  sums  to  my  mother. 

The  thief,  not  content  with  relating  his  robberies,  spoke 
continually  about  hanging  such  and  such  people,  naming 
several  of  my  acquaintances.  My  little  girl  thought  him 
very  wicked,  and  was  much  afraid  of  him,  which  gave  me 
courage  to  say  :  "I  pray  you.  Sir,  do  not  speak  of  murder 
before  this  child  !  *'  He  was  silenced,  and  amused  him- 
self by  playing  with  her.  There  was,  besides  this  man, 
on  the  banquette  where  I  was  sitting,  another,  a  furious 
Jacobin  from  Grenoble,  about  fifty  ;  ugly,  with  a  bilious 
complexion,  who,  each  time  we  descended  for  dinner  or 
supper  at  an  inn,  began  to  declaim  in  a  most  terrible  man- 
ner. In  all  the  towns,  crowds  stopped  the  diligence  to 
learn  news  of  Paris.  Our  Jacobin  then  called  out :  "  Be 
quiet,  my  children  ;  we  have  the  Baker  and  his  wife  safe 
in  Paris  ;  they  will  be  forced  to  accept  a  constitution,  and 
all  will  be  well  !  "  The  people  believed  in  this  man  as  an 
oracle.  I  no  longer  feared  for  myself,  but  for  everybody 
— my  mother,  brother,  and  friends ;  I  trembled  also  for 
their  Majesties.  All  along  the  road  as  far  as  Lyons,  men 
on  horseback  approached  the  diligence  to  tell  us  the  King 
and  Queen  were  massacred,  and  Paris  was  on  fire.  My 
poor  little  girl  trembled  all  over  ;  she  believed  her  father 
was  killed,  and  our  house  burnt  down,  and  when  I  had 
succeeded  in  calming  her,  there  came  another  horseman 
with  the  same  tales. 


no 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


At  last  we  reached  Lyons.  I  went  to  M.  Artaut,  a 
merchant,  whom  I  had  entertained  at  Paris,  with  his  wife. 
I  was  not  well  acquainted  with  them,  but  they  had  in- 
spired me  with  confidence,  because  our  opinions  agreed 
perfectly  on  all  that  was  passing  at  the  time.  My  first 
thought  was  to  ask  them  if  it  were  true  the  King  and 
Queen  had  been  massacred,  and,  thank  Heaven  !  for  once 
I  was  reassured. 

Monsieur  and  Madame  Artaut  found  some  difficulty  in 
recognising  me  at  first,  not  only  because  I  was  so  altered, 
but  because  I  wore  the  dress  of  a  badly-dressed  work- 
woman, with  a  large  handkerchief  falling  over  my  eyes. 
.1  had  had  occasion  to  be  thankful  I  had  taken  this  pre- 
caution on  my  journey.  I  had  exhibited  at  the  salon  the 
portrait  representing  myself  with  my  child  in  my  arms.  I 
had  done  this  for  M.  d'Angevilliers.  But  it  had  been 
taken  from  him  during  the  emigrations  and  carried  to  the 
Ministere  de  I'lnterieur.  The  Grenoble  Jacobin  spoke  of 
the  exhibition,  and  praised  this  same  picture.  I  trembled 
lest  he  should  recognise  me,  and  did  my  best  to  hide 
my  face.  Thanks  to  that  and  my  dress,  I  escaped  un- 
noticed. 

I  spent  three  days  at  Lyons  with  the  Artauts.  I  had 
need  of  the  rest,  but  with  the  exception  of  my  hosts,  I 
saw  no  one  in  the  town,  as  I  desired  to  remain  in  strict 
incognito.  M.  Artaut  engaged  a  driver  for  me,  and  told 
him  I  was  a  relation  of  his.  He  put  me  under  the  charge 
of  this  nice  man,  who  took  the  greatest  care  of  both  my 
daughter  and  myself.  I  cannot  tell  you  what  I  felt  when 
we  crossed  the  Bridge  of  Beauvoisin.    Then,  and  then 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


Ill 


only,  I  began  to  breathe  freely.  I  was  out  of  France — • 
of  France,  my  country — which  I  reproached  myself  for 
quitting  with  so  much  joy.  The  sight  of  the  mountains 
distracted  me  from  my  sad  thoughts.  I  had  never  seen 
high  ones  before.  Those  of  Savoy  seemed  to  reach  the 
sky.  My  first  feeling  was  one  of  awe,  but  I  insensibly 
became  accustomed  to  this  spectacle  and  ended  by  ad- 
miring it. 

The  landscape  at  Echelles  delighted  me.  I  imagined 
myself  in  the  Titans'  Gallery,  and  thus  I  have  always  called 
it.  Wishing  to  enjoy  these  beauties  more  thoroughly, 
I  descended  from  the  carriage,  but  about  half  way  on ,  the 
road  I  was  much  alarmed,  for  they  were  blasting  some 
rocks,  and  the  result  was  like  the  report  of  thousands  of 
cannons  reverberating  from  rock  to  rock  with  a  terrible 
sound. 

I  ascended  the  Mont  Cenis,  along  with  several  other 
strangers.  A  postillion  came  up.  "  Madame  ought  to  take 
a  mule,"  said  he,  ''for  a  lady  like  herself."  I  told  him  I 
was  a  workwoman,  accustomed  to  walking.  "  Ah  !  "  re- 
plied he,  laughing,  "  Madame  is  not  a  workwoman  ;  I 
know  who  she  is."  "And  who  am  I,  then?"  "You  are 
Madame  Le  Brun,  who  paints  beautifully,  and  we  are  very 
glad  to  know  you  are  safe  away  from  wicked  people."  I 
never  could  guess  how  this  man  managed  to  know  my 
name,  but  that  has  proved  to  me  how  many  emissaries  the 
Jacobins  must  have  employed.  Happily  I  no  longer  feared 
them  ;  I  was  out  of  their  dreadful  clutches.  For  want  of 
my  country  I  was  going  to  inhabit  places  vdiere  peace  and 
the  arts  flourished.    I  was  going  to  visit  Rome,  Naples, 


4 


112         SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


Berlin,  Vienna,  and  St.  Petersburg,  and,  above  all,  I  was 
going,  unknown  to  myself,  to  meet  you,  dear  friend,  to 
know  you  and  to  love  you. 
Always  yours. 


SOUVENIRS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Turin  —  Porporati  —  Correggio  —  Parma  —  M.  de  Flavigny  —  The 
Churches — The  Infant  of  Parma — Modena — Bologna— Florence. 

FTER  having  crossed  the  Mont  Cenis,  I  reached 
Turin,  tired  in  body  and  mind,  for  a  drench- 
ing rain  had  prevented  my  getting  out  of  the 
carriage  to  walk  a  little,  and  I  know  nothing  more  annoy- 
ing than  being  driven  slowly  along.  At  last  my  conductor 
deposited  me  in  a  very  bad  inn.  It  was  nine  at  night ;  we 
were  dying  of  hunger,  but  as  nothing  was  to  be  had  in 
the  house,  my  daughter,  her  governess  and  myself  were 
obliged  to  go  supperless  to  bed. 

The  next  day,  very  early,  I  acquainted  Porporati  of  my 
arrival ;  his  beautiful  engravings  are  well  known.  He  was 
then  a  professor  at  Turin.  I  had  seen  a  good  deal  of  him 
when  in  Paris,  and  he  came  at  once  to  visit  me.  Finding 
me  so  uncomfortable  in  my  inn,  he  begged  me  to  stay  at 
his  house,  which  I  dared  not  do  at  first,  but  he  implored 

I.I  3 


114 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


me  SO  eagerly  and  frankly  that  I  gave  way,  and  allowing 
my  packages  to  be  carried  to  his  domicile  I  followed  soon 
after  with  my  child.  I  was  received  by  his  daughter,  aged 
eighteen,  who  lived  with  him  also,  and  both  were  unremit- 
ting in  their  attention  to  us  during  the  five  or  six  days  we 
passed  in  their  house.  Being  anxious  to  reach  Rome,  I 
did  not  see  many  people  at  Turin.  I  contented  myself 
with  visiting  the  city,  and  making  a  few  excursions.  The 
town  is  handsome  ;  all  the  streets  run  parallel,  and  the 
houses  are  regularly  built.  A  high  mountain  arises  close 
behind,  called  La  Superga,  the  burial  place  of  the  Kings 
of  Sardinia. 

Porporati  took  me  to  the  theatre.  *  We  went  to  the 
largest,  and  there  I  perceived  in  the  front  boxes  the  Due 
de  Bourbon  and  the  Duke  d'Enghien,  whom  I  had  not 
seen  for  some  time.  The  father  looked  so  young  that  he 
might  have  been  the  brother  of  his  son. 

The  music  pleased  me  extremely,  and  I  asked  Porporati 
if  his  city  contained  many  lovers  of  art  ;  he  shook  his 
head  and  said  :  "  They  know  nothing  about  it,  this  is  what 
happened  to  me  ;  a  very  great  man,  having  heard  that  I 
was  an  engraver,  came  to  me  quite  recently  and  wanted 
me  to  engrave  his  seal." 

This  little  anecdote  convinced  me  that  the  inhabitants 
of  Turin  had  no  very  great  knowledge  of  art  either. 

I  left  my  kind  hosts  for  Parma  ;  I  had  barely  arrived 
there  when  I  received  a  visit  from  the  Comte  de  Flavigny, 
staying  there  as  a  Minister  of  Louis  XV L  M.  de  Flavigny 
was  about  sixty — I  had  not  met  him  in  France  before  ;  but 
his  extreme  courtesy  and  willingness  to  do  me  service 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  II5 

made  me  soon  know  and  appreciate  him  ;  his  wife  also 
made  much  of  my  daughter  and  myself,  and  their  society  was 
a  great  resource  for  me  in  a  town  where  I  knew  nobody. 

M.  de  Flavigny  made  me  see  everything  of  any  impor- 
tance in  Parma.  After  having  contemplated  the  magnifi- 
cent painting  by  Correggio  of  the  Nativity,  which  we  have 
had  in  the  Museum  of  the  Louvre,  I  visited  the  churches 
where  the  works  of  this  great  master  are  the  finest  orna- 
ment. I  could  not  behold  so  many  divine  paintings  with- 
out believing  in  the  inspiration  which  the  Christian  artist 
draws  from  his  religion  ;  no  doubt  fables  have  charming 
fictions,  but  the  poetry  of  Christianity  is  to  me  far  more 
beautiful. 

I  went  to  the  summit  of  the  church  of  Saint-Jean  ; 
there  I  was  able  to  admire  more  closely  a  cupola  where 
Correggio  painted  several  angels,  surrounded  by  feathery 
clouds.  What  surprised  me  was  that  the  faces  are  so  ex- 
quisitely finished,  they  might  have  been  standing  on  a 
painter's  easel,  and  yet  it  does  not  detract  from  the  view 
of  the  cupola  seen  from  below.  M.  le  Comte  de  Flavigny 
presented  me  to  the  Infanta,  sister  to  Marie  Antoinette, 
much  older  that  our  Queen,  of  whom  she  had  neither  the 
beauty  or  the  grace.  She  was  in  deep  mourning  for  her 
brother,  the  Emperor  Joseph  II.  Her  apartments  being 
all  hung  with  black  she  looked  to  me  like  a  ghost,  all  the 
more  so  because  she  was  extremely  thin  and  very  pale. 

This  princess  rode  on  horseback  every  day.  Her  man- 
ners and  way  of  living  were  like  those  of  a  man.  In  fact  I 
was  not  charmed  with  her,  although  she  received  me  very 
graciously. 


ii6 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


I  did  not  remain  long  at  Parma,  the  season  was  advanc- 
ing and  I  had  to  cross  the  Bolognese  mountains.  I  was 
therefore  in  a  hurry  to  begin  my  journey,  but  the  kind  M. 
de  Flavigny  made  me  adjourn  my  departure  for  three 
days,  because  he  was  expecting  a  friend  whom  he  wished 
to  take  charge  of  me,  not  wanting  me  to  cross  the  moun- 
tains alone  with  my  daughter  and  her  governess.  This 
friend,  M.  le  Vicomte  de  Lespigniere,  arrived,  and  I  was 
entrusted  to  him;  his  carriage  followed  mine  so  that  I 
travelled  most  safely  as  far  as  Rome. 

I  stopped  but  little  at  Modena,  a  pretty  town  which 
looked  nice  to  live  in.  The  streets  are  lined  with  long 
arcades  which  shelter  the  foot  passengers  from  rain  and 
sunshine.  The  palace  looked  elegant  and  majestic.  It 
contains  several  fine  paintings,  one  by  Raffaelle  and  many 
by  Giulio  Romano. 

After  having  crossed  the  mountains,  which  are  very  ter- 
rifying, for  the  road  is  narrow,  steep  and  precipitous,  caus- 
ing me  thereby  to  walk  a  good  deal,  we  reached  Bologna, 
feeling  rather  tired.  My  wish  was  to  spend  at  least  a  week 
in  this  town,  in  order  to  admire  the  master-pieces  of  its 
school,  generally  considered  one  of  the  first  in  Italy. 
Therefore  I  hastened  to  unpack  my  luggage.  "  Alas  ! 
Madame,"  said  the  innkeeper,  "you  are  taking  needless 
trouble,  for,  being  French,  you  can  only  spend  one  night 
here." 

I  was  in  despair,  all  the  more  because  I  saw  coming  to- 
wards me  a  tall  black  man,  dressed  Hke  Bartholo,  whom 
I  at  once  took  to  be  a  messenger  of  the  Papal  Govern- 
ment.   He  held  a  paper  in  his  hand,  which  I  at  once 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  II7 

imagined  was  the  order  for  my  quitting  the  town  in  twenty- 
four  hours.  "I  know  what  you  have  come  to  say,  Sig- 
ner," said  I  sorrowfully,  ''you  have  brought  me  the  order 
to  leave."  "  No,  I  come,  on  the  contrary,  to  bring  you 
permission  to  remain  as  long  as  you  please,  Madame,"  he 
replied. 

My  joy  on  this  good  news  was  great,  and  I  hastened  to 
benefit  by  this  favour.  It  was  plain  that  the  Papal  Gov- 
ernment was  informed  from  Turin  of  the  names  of  all  the 
French  travellers  who  wished  to  cross  the  Papal  States.. 

I  visited  several  of  the  palaces  which  contain  master- 
pieces of  the  Bolognese  school ;  in  one  of  these  the  custode 
followed  me  round  and  persisted  in  telling  me  the  names 
of  all  the  painters.  He  irritated  me  much,  and  I  quietly 
told  him  he  was  giving  himself  needless  trouble,  for  I  knew 
all  these  masters.  He  contented  himself  after  that  with 
accompanying  me  ;  but  as  he  heard  me  admiring  the  finest 
works  and  repeating  the  painter's  name,  he  left  me  and 
went  to  my  servant  and  said  :  "  Who  is  this  lady  ?  I 
have  led  many  great  princesses  through  this  gallery,  but  I 
never  met  any  as  well  informed  as  this  one  is."  Three 
days  after  my  arrival,  the  3rd  of  November,  1789,  I  was 
received  as  a  member  of  the  Academy  of  Bologna.  M. 
Bequetti,  who  was  the  director,  came  himself  to  bring  my 
letters  of  acceptation. 

I  consoled  myself  for  leaving  so  many  beautiful  things  by 
the  idea  of  those  which  I  should  find  in  Florence.  After 
having  crossed  the  Apennines  and  the  arid  hills  of  Radi- 
cofani,  we  passed  through  a  fertile  country  which  is  at 
the  outskirts  of  Tuscany.    On  the  right  of  the  road  a  little 


ii8 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


volcano  was  pointed  out  to  me,  which  bursts  out  on  the 
approach  of  a  light,  called  Fuoco  di  Lagno.  Further  on 
the  road  ascended,  and  I  saw  Florence  situated  at  the 
bottom  of  a  large  valley,  which  at  first  looked  rather 
gloomy,  for  I  like  towns  built  on  a  height  ;  but  as  soon  as 
I  entered  the  illustrious  city,  I  was  surprised  and  delighted 
with  its  beauty  and  view. 

After  having  installed  myself  in  the  hotel  to  which  I  had 
been  recommended,  I  commenced  by  taking  a  walk  with 
my  daughter  and  the  Marquis  de  Lespigniere  on  one  of 
the  surrounding  hills,  from  whence  there  is  a  magnificent 
prospect,  and  where  are  several  cypress  trees  growing.  My 
daughter  looking  at  them  said  :  "  These  trees  seem  to  ask 
one  to  be  silent."  I  was  so  surprised  at  a  child  of  seven 
saying  such  a  thing,  that  I  have  never  forgotten  it. 

Notwithstanding  my  extreme  haste  to  get  to  Rome,  I 
felt  obliged  to  remain  some  little  time  in  this  city.  I  vis- 
ited the  celebrated  gallery  which  the  Medicis  enriched 
with  so  much  care  ;  but  I  should  require  a  volume  to  en- 
ter into  details  on  all  the  riches  I  had  the  pleasure  of  be- 
holding in  this  place  of  enchantment  for  artists. 

Of  course  I  could  not  leave  Florence  without  seeing  the 
Altoviti  Palace,  where  Raffaelle's  fine  portrait  by  himself  is 
kept.  This  portrait  has  been  put  under  glass,  in  order  to 
preserve  it,  and  this  precaution  has  darkened  the  shadows, 
but  all  the  flesh  tints  are  very  pure  and  delicately  col- 
oured. The  features  of  the  portrait  are  very  regular, 
good  eyes  and  a  clear,  penetrating  expression. 

I  did  not  neglect  to  visit  the  Mediciean  Library,  which 
contains  very  rare  manuscripts.    There  are  some  old  mis- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


119 


sals  of  which  the  left  margins  are  exquisitely  painted  ; 
holy  subjects  are  done  in  miniature  in  colours  and  admira- 
bly finished. 

The  day  I  visited  the  gallery  containing  the  portraits  of 
modern  painters  by  themselves,  I  was  honoured  by  being 
asked  for  mine  for  the  City  of  Florence,  and  I  promised  to 
send  it  when  in  Rome.*  I  saw  with  great  satisfaction  in 
this  gallery  the  picture  of  Angelica  Kauffmann,  who  is  one 
of  the  greatest  honours  to  our  sex. 

All  the  time  of  my  sojourn  at  Florence  was  one  of  en- 
chantment. I  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  French 
lady,  the  Marquise  de  Venturi,  who  treated  me  with  much 
kindness.  In  the  evenings  she  accompanied  me  along  the 
banks  of  the  Arno,  where,  at  a  certain  hour,  crowds  of  car- 
riages and  elegantly  dressed  people  were  to  be  seen,  whose 
presence  enlivened  the  charming  spot.  These  promenades 
and  my  mornings  at  the  Medici  Gallery,  and  at  the 
churches  and  palaces  of  the  city,  caused  my  days  to  pass 
most  agreeably  ;  and  had  I  not  thought  of  my  poor  France, 
I  should  then  have  been  a  most  happy  woman. 


*  Madame  Vigee  Le  Bnin  kept  her  promise.  Her  portrait  is  in 
the  portrait-room  of  painters,  under  No.  360. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Rome — Drouais— Raffaelle — The  Coliseum— Angelica  Kauffmann — 
Cardinal  Beinis — Roman  Customs — My  Movements. 

HORTLY  after  my  arrival  in  Rome  I  wrote 
the  following  letter  to  Robert,  the  landscape 
painter : 

"Rome,  December  rst,  1789. 

"  It  was  with  sorrow,  my  dear  friend,  that  I  left  the 
lovely  city  of  Florence,  where  I  saw  very  rapidly  all  the 
most  remarkable  works  of  art,  and  which  I  promised  my- 
self to  visit  more  leisurely  on  my  return  from  Rome. 

"You  have  noticed  my  huge  sighs  when  I  heard  the 
conversations  of  those  who  had  had  the  happiness  of  liv- 
ing here  ;  you  know  how  much  I  desired  to  visit  in  my 
turn  this  beautiful  land  of  art.  When,  at  some  distance 
from  Rome,  I  beheld  the  dome  of  St.  Peter's,  it  would  be 
impossible  for  me  to  describe  my  intense  joy.  A  last  I 
crossed  the  Ponte  Molle,  and  I  must  confess  that  I  thought 
it  rather  small,  and  the  Tiber  a  very  dirty  stream  ;  I 
crossed  the  Porta  del  Popolo  and  Corso,  and  finally 
reached  the  Academic  de  France.  Our  director,  M.  Me- 
nageot,  came  to  the  carriage  door ;  I  asked  him  to  put  us 
up  till  I  had  found  some  other  lodging,  and  he  at  once 

120 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


121 


gave  me  a  small  apartment,  with  my  daughter  and  gover- 
ness close  by.  Moreover,  he  lent  me  ten  louis  that  I 
might  be  able  to  finish  paying  my  driver  ;  for  I  must  tell 
you  that  I  only  brought  eighty  louis  with  me,  my  dear 
husband  having  kept  the  rest  for  himself,  as  you  know 
was  his  custom. 

"The  same  day  M.  Menageot  took  me  to  Saint  Peter's; 
its  immense  size  did  not  strike  me  all  at  once.  I  attribute 
this  effect  to  the  beautiful  proportion  of  its  details. 

"  The  next  day  I  visited  the  Vatican  Museum.  It  is  to 
the  Greeks  that  we  must  ascribe,  in  its  greatest  perfection, 
the  elegance  of  forms  ;  in  seeing  their  works  it  is  evident 
that  they  had  admirable  models,  and  that  the  men  and 
women  of  ancient  Greece  must  have  realized  of  old  what 
we  consider  our  beau  ideal  of  beauty.  As  I  was  setting 
out  on  my  way  to  the  Museum,  I  received  a  visit  from 
the  pupils  of  the  Academy.  They  brought  me  young 
Drouais'  palette  and  asked  me  in  exchange  for  some  of 
the  brushes  I  used  whilst  painting  ;  I  cannot  conceal  how 
much  affected  I  was  by  this  flattering  demand,  and  the 
honour  paid  to  me  ;  I  shall  ever  remember  it  with  pleas- 
ure. 

"  The  galleries,  salons  and  corridors  of  the  Vatican  are 
quite  unique  in  the  world.  It  is  astonishing  to  behold  the 
numerous  works  of  Raffaelle,  when  one  sees  the  wonder- 
ful School  of  Athens,  and  then  the  Fire  of  Borgo,  composed 
in  such  a  dilferent  style.  But  what  surprises  me  more 
than  everything  is,  that  he  who  died  so  young  should  have 
left  so  many  master-pieces. 

"  It  is  a  great  misfortune  that  so  many  beautiful  pro- 
6 


122 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


ductions  are  being  destroyed,  not  only  by  time,  but  be- 
cause young  artists  are  permitted  to  trace  over  the  heads 
with  chalks.  I  remember  on  this  subject  hearing  a  former 
director  of  the  Academy  say  to  his  pupils  :  *  What  need 
have  you  to  trace  out  the  heads  by  Raffaelle  ?  do  them 
from  nature,  morbleu  !  it  is  the  same  thing  ;  go  on  to  the 
Piazza  del  Popolo.' 

"  I  went  to  the  Coliseum ;  this  ruin  is  truly  beautiful  ; 
the  colour  of  the  stone  and  the  vegetation  growing  around 
make  a  lovely  pictorial  effect.  I  cannot  imagine  what 
possessed  you  to  climb  to  the  very  top  of  everything  for 
the  mere  pleasure  of  planting  a  cross  there  ;  it  was  a  dan- 
gerous exploit.  I  must  not  forget  to  tell  you  that  this 
cross  has  remained  where  you  placed  it,  and  your  skill 
and  courage  are  become  historical,  for  they  are  still  the 
talk  of  Rome. 

I  have  seen  Angelica  Kauffmann,  whom  I  had  long 
wished  to  know.  I  found  her  very  interesting,  apart  from 
her  great  talent,  by  her  wit  and  intellectual  powers.  She  is  a 
woman  of  about  fifty,  very  delicate  ;  her  health  was  de- 
stroyed by  her  misfortune  in  marrying  an  adventurer,  who 
ruined  her.  She  married  after  his  death  an  architect,  who 
is  also  her  man  of  business ;  she  talked  to  me  for  some 
time,  and  very  well,  during  the  two  evenings  I  passed  with 
her.  Her  conversation  is  very  gentle  ;  she  is  very  well  in- 
formed, but  totally  devoid  of  enthusiasm.  Angelica  pos- 
sesses some  paintings  by  the  great  masters,  -and  I  saw  sev- 
eral of  her  own  works  ;  her  sketches  pleased  me  more  than 
her  pictures,  because  their  colouring  is  like  that  of  Titian. 

"  I  dined  with  her  yesterday  at  our  Ambassador's,  the 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 23 

Cardinal  de  Bernis,  whom  I  had  visited  three  days  after 
my  arrival.  He  placed  us  both  at  table  by  his  side.  He 
had  invited  several  strangers,  and  some  of  the  Diplomatic 
Corps,  so  that  we  were  thirty  at  the  dinner,  the  Cardinal 
doing  the  honours  most  gracefully,  although  for  himself  he 
never  eats  more  than  two  little  dishes  of  vegetables.  But 
the  curious  part  was  yet  to  come  ;  this  morning  I  was 
waked  at  seven,  and  the  family  of  the  Cardinal  de  Bernis 
was  announced.  I  was  astonished  !  I  arose  in  great  haste 
and  they  entered  ;  this  family  consisted  of  five  great  big 
footmen  in  livery,  who  came  to  demand  a  buono  mano.  I 
was  informed  that  they  came  for  some  drink  money.  I 
wished  them  good-morning,  and  gave  them  two  Roman 
ecus. 

"  This  is  an  immense  letter,  my  friend,  but  I  had  need 
of  a  long  chat  with  you.  Remember  me  to  those  of  my 
friends  and  acquaintances  who  are  still  in  Paris.  How  is 
our  dear  Abbe  Delille  ?  speak  of  me  to  him  as  well  as  to 
Brongniart  and  my  dear  Madame  Verdun.  Alas  !  when 
shall  I  see  you  all  again. 

"Adieu." 

As  I  could  not  remain  in  the  very  small  apartment  I 
occupied  in  the  Academy,  I  was  obliged  to  seek  another 
lodging.  I  did  not  regret  the  one  I  left,  for  as  it  looked  on 
to  a  little  street  in  which  carriages  were  always  being  put 
up,  the  horses  and  drivers  made  a  diabolical  noise  ;  there 
was  besides  a  Madonna  at  the  corner  of  the  street,  and  the 
Calabrians,  whose  patron  saint  she  was,  came  to  sing  and 
play  on  string  instruments  before  her  niche  till  daybreak. 


124 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


I  found  some  difficulty  in  getting  a  lodging,  for  I  had 
great  need  of  sleep,  and  quiet  is  absolutely  necessary  for 
me ;  I  at  first  occupied  apartments  on  the  Piazza  di 
Spagna,  at  Denis's,  the  landscape  painter  ;  but  every  night 
the  carriages  rattled  along  this  square  where  the  Spanish 
Ambassador  lived.  All  sorts  of  people  met  there  after  I 
was  in  bed  to  sing  in  choruses,  pieces  which  the  young 
girls  and  boys  had  improvised,  most*  charmingly,  it  is  true, 
for  the  Italian  nation  seems  to  have  been  created  to  make 
good  music  ;  but  this  habitual  concert  which  would  have 
enchanted  me  during  the  day,  was  distressing  at  night. 
I  could  not  rest  before  five  in  the  morning.  I  therefore 
quitted  the  Piazza  di  Spagna. 

I  hired  near  there,  in  a  tranquil  street,  a  little  house 
which  suited  me  perfectly,  where  I  had  a  charming  bed- 
room, draped  with  green,  an  advantage  I  fully  appreciated. 
I  had  visited  all  the  house  from  top  to  bottom,  and  had 
even  examined  the  yards  of  neighbouring  houses  without 
perceiving  anything  to  alarm  me.  I  fancied  I  should  hear 
no  other  sound  than  that  of  a  small  fountain  in  the  court, 
and  in  my  delight  I  hastened  to  pay  the  ten  or  twelve 
coins  for  the  first  month  in  advance.  Joyfully  I  went  to 
bed  in  perfect  peace,  at  two  in  the  morning  I  heard  an 
infernal  noise  precisely  behind  my  head  ;  it  was  so  violent 
that  my  daughter's  governess,  who  slept  two  rooms  off, 
was  awakened.  As  soon  as  I  was  up,  I  asked  my  hostess 
the  cause  of  this  fearful  disturbance;  I  was  informed  that 
it  was  the  noise  of  the  pump  attached  to  the  wall  near  my 
bed  ;  the  washerwomen  could  not  whiten  the  linen  in  the 
day,  owing  to  the  great  heat,  so  they  only  came  to  this 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  12$ 

pump  at  night.  As  may  be  imagined,  I  hastened  to  leave 
this  charming  little  house. 

After  having  sought  fruitlessly  to  find  a  suitable  abode, 
I  was  told  of  a  small  palace  in  which  I  could  hire  an 
apartment ;  having  found  nothing  more  suitable  I  installed 
myself  there ;  I  had  more  space  than  I  required  for  com- 
fort, but  all  the  rooms  were  filthy.  At  length,  after  having 
cleaned  some  of  them  I  settled  down  ;  from  the  first  night 
I  was  able  to  judge  of  the  delights  of  this  habitation. 
A  chilliness,  a  fearful  damp  I  could  have  slept  through, 
but  an  army  of  enormous  rats,  which  ran  over  my  room 
and  ate  the  woodwork,  prevented  my  doing  so.  When  I 
asked  the  guardian  the  next  day  why  this  palace  was  so 
cold  and  why  there  were  so  many  rats,  he  replied  that  for 
nine  years  he  had  been  unable  to  let  it :  which  I  could 
well  believe ;  notwithstanding  all  these  drawbacks  I  was 
forced  to  remain  there  six  weeks. 

At  last  I  found  a  house  which  seemed  just  the  thing. 
I  would  not  take  it  unless  I  tried  it  for  one  night  first. 
Barely  had  I  got  into  bed  than  I  heard  a  most  extraordi- 
nary sound  above  my  head  ;  it  was  caused  by  quantities 
of  little  wood  insects  which  eat  the  beams.  As  soon  as  I 
opened  the  shutter  the  noise  ceased :  but  to  my  great 
regret,  I  was  obliged  to  leave  this  house.  I  do  not  believe 
it  possible  for  anyone  to  make  more  moves  than  I  did 
during  my  sojourn  in  the  Eternal  City  :  consequently  I  am 
convinced  that  the  most  difficult  thing  to  do  in  Rome  is 
to  find  a  resting  place  for  one's  head. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Portraits  done  in  Rome — The  Holy  Week — The  Papal  Benediction^ 
The  Carnival — Madame  Benti — Crescentini — Marchesi — Her  last 
appearance  in  Rome. 

ERY  soon  after  my  arrival  in  Rome  I  painted 
my  portrait  for  the  Florentine  Gallery.  I  de- 
picted myself,  with  a  palette  in  my  hand, 
before  a  picture  on  which  I  was  supposed  to  be  tracing 
the  head  of  our  Queen  with  white  chalks.  Then  I  painted 
Miss  Pitt,  a  daughter  of  Lord  Camelford;  she  was  sixteen 
and  very  pretty,  therefore  I  represented  her  as  Hebe  on 
clouds,  holding  a  goblet  in  her  hand  from  which  an  eagle 
was  drinking.  I  painted  the  eagle  from  life  and  had 
great  doubts  whether  he  would  not  devour  me  ;  he  be- 
longed to  Cardinal  de  Bemis.  The  wretched  creature,  who 
was  accustomed  to  living  chained  up  in  a  courtyard  in  the 
open  air,  was  furious  at  being  in  my  room  and  wished  to 
fly  at  me.    I  confess  I  felt  horribly  frightened. 

At  the  same  time  I  took  the  portrait  of  a  Polish  lady, 
the  Comtesse  Potocki.  She  came  to  me  with  her  husband, 
and  when  he  had  left  us,  she  coolly  observed  ;  "  It  is  my 
third  husband  ;  but  I  think  I  shall  take  up  the  first  again, 
who  suited  me  better,  although  he  is  a  regular  scamp."  I 

126 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 2/ 

painted  this  Pole  very  picturesquely,  leaning  against  a 
mossy  rock  and  behind  her  some  waterfalls. 

I  afterwards  took  the  portrait  of  Mademoiselle  Roland, 
then  mistress  of  Lord  Wellesley,  who  married  her  soon 
after;  then  my  own  portrait  on  my  reception  to  the 
Roman  Academy;  a  copy  of  the  one  I  destined  for  Flo- 
rence, and  a  portrait  of  Lord  Bristol,  half  length  ;  that  of 
Madame  Silva,  a  young  Portuguese  I  met  since  at  Naples, 
and  of  whom  I  shall  speak  later  on.  In  fact  I  worked 
prodigiously  hard  at  Rome  and  during  the  three  years  I 
passed  in  Italy.  Not  only  did  I  find  painting  a  great 
resource  and  enjoyment,  surrounded  as  I  was  by  works 
of  art ;  but  I  had  to  rebuild  my  fortune,  for  I  did  not 
possess  a  hundred  francs  a  year.  Luckily  I  had  only  to 
choose  amongst  the  greatest  personages  the  portraits  I 
wished  to  take. 

I  have  decided  on  not  entering  into  details  concerning 
the  beauties  of  Rome,  because  there  have  already  been  so 
many  books  printed  on  the  subject  I  should  fear  to  become 
wearisome  ;  no  one  can  imagine  or  have  any  idea  of  the 
grand  and  imposing  spectacle  produced  by  the  Catholic 
religion  who  has  not  seen  Rome  at  Easter  or  during  Lent. 
The  Holy  Week  commences  on  Palm  Sunday  and  is  passed 
in  rehgious  ceremonies,  when  the  pomp  is  really  magnifi- 
cent. 

On  Wednesday,  I  went  with  the  crowd  to  the  chapel  on 
Monte  Cavallo,  where  they  sang  Pergolesi's  Stabat  Mater, 
a  celestial  production.  On  Thursday,  I  attended  the 
splendid  mass  at  Saint  Peter's.  The  cardinals  clothed  in 
rich  chasubles,  and  holding  wax  tapers,  walked  to  the 


128 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


Pauline  Chapel,  which  was  illuminated  by  thousands  of 
tapers.  Numbers  of  soldiers,  wearing  cuirasses  and  steel 
helmets,  followed  the  cortege.  The  aspect  of  this  pro- 
cession was  beautiful.  The  morning  of  Good  Friday  I 
went  to  the  Sistine  Chapel  to  hear  the  famous  Miserere  of 
Allegri,  sung  by  soprano  voices,  without  any  instrument. 
In  the  evening  I  went  to  St.  Peter's,  the  hundred  lamps  on 
the  altar  were  extinguished.  The  church  was  lighted  only 
by  an  illuminated  cross  of  great  brilliancy.  This  cross 
was  at  least  twenty  feet  high  and  appeared  to  be  magically 
suspended.  We  saw  the  Pope  enter  and  kneel  ;  he  was 
imitated  by  all  the  Cardinals  ;  but  I  must  confess  that 
what  surprised  and  shocked  me,  was  to  see,  during  the 
prayer  offered  up  by  the  Holy  Father,  several  foreigners 
walk  about  as  though  they  were  in  the  gardens  of  the 
Palais  Royal. 

I  took  care  on  Easter  Day  to  be  on  the  Piazza  of  St. 
Peter's,  and  see  the  Pope  give  his  benediction.  Nothing 
could  be  more  solemn.  This  immense  Piazza  was  crowded 
from  early  morn  by  peasants  and  people  from  the  neigh- 
bouring towns,  all  in  divers  and  many  hued  costumes, 
along  with  several  pilgrims.  The  galleries  each  side  were 
filled  with  Romans  and  strangers,  and  in  front  of  them 
were  the  Papal  Guard  and  Swiss  soldiers,  with  their  ensigns 
and  banners  unfurled. 

A  most  devout  silence  reigned  over  all  ;  this  crowd  was 
as  immoveable  as  the  superb  obelisk  of  oriental  granite 
which  adorns  the  Piazza  ;  one  heard  only  the  sound  of  the 
water  falling  from  the  two  beautiful  fountains. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  Pope  arrived,  dressed  in  white  with 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 29 

his  mitre  on  his  head.  He  sat  on  a  splendid  crimson 
throne  in  the  middle,  outside  the  church.  All  the  Car- 
dinals surrounded  him  in  their  fine  robes.  I  must  say- 
that  Pope  Pius  VI.  was  superb.  His  healthy  face  bore  no 
traces  of  age.  His  hands  were  white  and  plump.  He 
knelt  to  read  his  prayer  ;  after  which  he  arose  and  gave 
three  benedictions,  pronouncing  these  words,  "  urbi  et 
orbi  "  (to  the  city  and  to  the  world). 

Then  as  if  struck  by  a  flash  of  lightning,  the  people, 
strangers,  soldiers,  everybody  knelt,  whilst  the  cannon  re- 
sounded all  around,  a  sight  I  believe  none  can  behold 
without  being  affected  thereby. 

The  benediction  given,  the  Cardinals  threw  from  the 
tribune  *a  great  number  of  papers,  which  I  was  informed 
were  indulgences.  It  was  only  then  that  the  crowd  all 
dispersed,  and  thousands  of  arms  were  raised  to  seize  one 
of  these  papers.  The  movement  and  eagerness  of  this 
crowd  was  beyond  all  description.  When  the  Pope  left, 
the  military  bands  played,  and  the  troops  departed  to 
the  sound  of  the  drums. 

The  crowds  of  strangers  are  attracted  to  Rome  more 
for  the  Holy  Week  than  the  Carnival.  The  masks  are 
dressed  up  as  Harlequins,  &c.,  as  we  see  them  in  Paris 
on  the  Boulevards.  I  only  saw  one  young  man  walking 
about  in  a  French  dress.  He  was  imitating  a  rather  af- 
fected dandy  whom  we  all  recognised.  The  carriages  were 
filled  with  richly  costumed  people.  The  horses  were 
covered  with  plumes,  ribbons,  and  bells,  and  the  servants 
were  dressed  as  Harlequins,  &c.  But  it  all  passed  off 
very  quietly. 


130         SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 

One  of  my  delights  whilst  in  Rome  was  the  music,  and 
certainly  I  had  plenty.  The  celebrated  Banti  was  there 
during  my  stay;  although  she  had  sung  several  times  in 
Paris  I  had  never  heard  her,  and  I  had  this  pleasure  at  a 
concert,  which  was  given  in  an  immense  gallery.  I  do 
not  know  why,  but  I  had  imagined  that  Banti  was  ex- 
tremely tall.  She  was  on  the  contrary  very  small  and 
ugly,  with  such  masses  of  hair  that  her  chignon  was  like 
a  horse's  mane.  But  what  a  voice  !  none  could  equal  it 
for  strength  and  compass ;  the  salon,  large  as  it  was, 
could  not  suffice  for  it.  Her  manner  of  singing  was  the 
same  as  that  of  the  celebrated  Pachiraotti. 

This  admirable  singer  was  very  curiously  formed  :  she 
had  a  high  chest,  shaped  like  a  bellows  ;  she  permitted  us 
to  see  this  strange  formation  after  the  concert,  when  a 
few  ladies  and  myself  withdrew  into  an  adjoining  room  : 
I  fancied  this  might  explain  the  power  and  agility  of  her 
voice. 

Shortly  after  my  arrival,  I  went  with  Angelica  Kauff- 
mann  to  see  the  opera  of  Cesar,  in  which  Crescentini 
made  his  debut.  His  singing  and  voice  were  perfec- 
tion ;  he  took  a  woman's  part,  and  was  clothed  with  a 
panier,  like  those  worn  at  the  court  of  Versailles,  which 
made  us  laugh  heartily.  Crescentini  then  possessed  all 
the  charm  and  freshness  of  youth ;  he  succeeded  Mar- 
chesi,  to  whom  the  Romans  were  quite  devoted,  so  that 
at  the  last  representation  they  openly  told  him  of  their 
sorrow  ;  several  wept  bitterly,  which  was  for  some  quite  a 
second  scene. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Piazza  of  St.  Peter's — Daggers — The  Princesse  Joseph  de  Monaco — - 
The  Duchesse  de  Fleury — Kindness  of  Louis  XVI. — Abbe  Maury 
— Etiquette  which  prevented  my  taking  the  Pope's  likeness — Tus- 
culum — Villas  Conti  and  Adrian — Monte  Mario — ^Genesano — Lake 
Nemi — Adventure. 

HERE  is  no  city  in  the  world  where  life  passes 
so  agreeably  as  in  Rome  ;  to  walk  within  its 
walls  is  a  pleasure,  for  one  never  tires  of 
visiting  again  and  again  the  Coliseum,  the  Capitol,  the 
Pantheon,  St.  Peter's  with  its  Piazza,  its  superb  obelisk, 
its  noble  fountain  which  the  sun  lights  up  so  exquisitely 
with  rainbow  hues.  This  Piazza  has  a  most  wonderful 
appearance  at  sunset  and  by  moonlight.  I  am  told  that 
all  the  lower  class  of  women  wear  daggers  ;  the  men  I 
know  are  never  without  them,  and  this  custom  often  leads 
to  serious  results.  One  evening,  shortly  after  my  arrival 
in  Rome,  hearing  a  great  noise  and  tumult  in  the  street, 
I  sent  to  inquire  the  cause,  and  was  informed  that  a  man 
had  just  been  stabbed  from  motives  of  revenge.  It  is 
only  amongst  themselves,  however,  that  they  give  way  to 
the  violence  of  their  passions,  visitors  to  Rome  being 
quite  safe.    In  the  foregoing  instance,  there  had  been  a 

131 


132 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


quarrel  of  ten  years  standing,  which  shows  how  long  a 
time  an  Italian  remembers  an  injury. 

The  manners  of  the  higher  classes  are,  however,  much 
more  gentle,  for  society  is  the  same  as  in  the  other  cities 
of  Europe.  Besides  I  am  not  a  good  judge,  for  with  the 
exception  of  what  concerns  my  art,  and  the  invitations 
which  I  received  to  numberless  reunions,  I  had  little  op- 
portunity of  knowing  the  "  grandes  dames  "  in  Rome.  It 
occurred  to  me,  as  it  naturally  does  to  all  exiles,  to  seek 
in  a  foreign  city  the  society  of  my  compatriots.  During 
the  years  1789  and  1790,  Rome  was  crowded  with  French 
^migr/s,  many  of  whom  were  old  acquaintances.  Amongst 
them  I  must  mention  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Fitzjames, 
with  their  sons  ;  also  the  Polignacs.  I  did  not  care  to 
visit  this  family  often,  for  fear  of  exciting  calumnious  re- 
marks, for  it  v»rould  at  once  have  been  said  I  was  plotting 
with  them;  and  I  thought  it  a  duty  to  avoid  them  as  much 
as  possible,  on  account  of  the  relations  and  friends  I  had 
left  in  France.  Besides  these,  many  remarkable  people 
arrived  in  Rome,  amongst  others  the  Princesse  Joseph  de 
Monaco,  and  the  Duchesse  de  Fleury.  The  Princesse 
Joseph  was  a  charming  person,  full  of  sweetness  and  amia- 
bility. Unhappily,  alas  !  she  did  not  remain  in  Rome, 
but  soon  returned  to  Paris  to  try  and  save  the  small  for- 
tune which  still  remained  for  her  children.  She  arrived 
there  during  the  "  Terror  " — was  arrested  and  condemned 
to  death,  and  suffered  on  the  scaffold.  She  might  have 
had  a  reprieve  could  she  have  been  induced  to  declare 
herself  e7icemte,  but  she  refused  to  tell  an  untruth,  and  was 
guillotined. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


Of  all  the  French  ladies  in  Rome,  I  admired  the  beauti- 
ful Duchesse  de  Fleury  the  most ;  she  was  quite  young,  and 
nature  had  lavished  on  her  all  her  choicest  gifts.  She  had 
a  lovely  face,  and  the  figure  of  a  Venus,  added  to  -this, 
her  mind  was  of  a  superior  order.  We  felt  mutually 
drawn  towards  each  other  ;  she  loved  art,  and  like  myself, 
was  passionately  fond  of  the  beauties  of  nature  ;  I  found 
in  her  a  companion  I  had  often  longed  for. 

We  regularly  spent  our  evenings  together  at  the  hospita- 
ble house  of  Prince  Camille  de  Rohan,  who  was  at  that 
time  Ambassador  of  Malta,  and  Grand  Commander  of  the 
Order.  Every  evening  he  collected  around  him  the  most 
distinguished  foreigners  in  Rome  ;  the  conversation  was 
always  animated  and  interesting  ;  each  one  spoke  of  what 
they  had  seen  during  the  day,  and  the  wit  and  tact  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Fleury  was  remarked  by  all. 

This  seductive  woman  appeared  to  me  to  be  exposed  to 
all  the  dangers  which  menace  a  lively  imagination  and  an 
exalted  soul  ;  I  feared  for  her  happiness  ;  I  knew  that  she 
frequently  corresponded  with  the  Due  de  Lauzun,  who 
was  a  handsome  man,  witty  and  amiable,  but  at  the  same 
time  utterly  wanting  in  morality,  and  I  greatly  dreaded 
this  intimacy  for  her,  though  I  do  not  think  there  was  real 
harm  in  it.  I  am  not  aware  that  he  took  an  active  part  in 
the  Revolution,  but  having  remained  in  France,  he  was 
guillotined. 

The  Duchesse  de  Fleury  returned  to  Paris  in  order  to 
get  a  divorce  from  her  husband  ;  then  having  fallen  des- 
perately in  love  with  M.  Montroud,  a  clever,  pushing  man, 
she  married  him.    They  at  once  retired  from  society,  to 


134 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


enjoy  their  happiness  in  soHtude  ;  but  alas !  solitude 
killed  their  love,  and  they  returned  to  Paris  for  a  divorce. 
Her  last  love  affair  was  with  a  brother  of  Garat,  who  I  am 
told  treated  her  cruelly.  At  the  Restoration,  which 
brought  back  her  father,  the  Comte  de  Coigny,  she  re- 
gained peace  and  happiness,  and  she  remained  with  him 
till  his  death.  Before  the  return  of  the  Bourbons,  having 
occasion  one  day  to  visit  the  Emperor  Bonaparte,  he  said 
to  her  brusquely  : — 

"  Do  you  still  love  men  !  " 

"  Yes,  sire,  when  they  are  polite,"  she  replied. 

The  arrival  in  Rome  of  so  many  persons  who  brought 
news  from  France  made  me  experience  the  most  varied 
emotions,  sometimes  sad  and  sometimes  gay.  I  was  told 
for  example  that,  shortly  after  my  departure,  the  king  hav- 
ing been  requested  to  let  his  portrait  be  taken,  replied  : 
"  No,  I  shall  wait  the  return  of  Madame  Le  Brun  to  have 
my  portrait  taken,  and  it  shall  be  a  companion  to  the  one 
she  did  of  the  Queen  ;  I  will  be  painted  full  length  stand- 
ing, and  giving  an  order  to  M.  de  la  Perouse  to  make  a 
voyage  round  the  world." 

Nothing  gratifies  me  more  than  to  recall  the  kindness 
Louis  XVI.  always  showed  to  me,  and  I  always  reproach 
myself  that  I  hitherto  have  forgotten  to  mention  that  at 
the  time  I  made  the  great  picture  of  the  Queen  with  her 
children,  M.  d'AngevilHers  came  to  tell  me  that  the  King 
wished  to  give  me  the  order  of  Saint-Michel,  which  was  a 
decoration  entirely  for  male  artists  and  learned  men  of 
the  highest  order..  As  even  at  that  time  the  most  odious 
calumnies  were  circulated  about  me,  I  feared  that  so  great 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 35 

a  distinction  would  carry  to  its  height  the  envy  already  ex- 
cited, and,  though  deeply  grateful,  I  nevertheless  begged 
M.  d'Angevilliers  to  try  and  induce  the  King  to  renounce 
the  idea  of  according  me  this  favour. 

I  met  in  Rome  one  of  my  best  and  oldest  friends,  M. 
d'Agincourt,  who,  when  living  in  Paris,  lent  me  all  the 
beautiful  drawings  in  his  possession  to  copy.  M.  d'Agin- 
court was  an  enthusiastic  lover  of  art,  and  above  all  of 
painting  ;  I  was  very  young  when  he  left  France ;  he  said 
to  me  on  leaving,  "  I  shall  not  see  you  for  three  years,"  and 
fourteen  had  passed  since  then  without  his  having  been  able 
to  tear  himself  from  Rome,  as  he  could  not  imagine  that 
one  could  live  anywhere  else.  He  died  there,  regretted 
by  all  who  had  known  him.* 

It  was  also  during  my  first  visit  to  Rome  that  I  met 
again  the  Abbe  Maury,  who  was  not  then  a  cardinal ;  he 

*  Jean-Baptiste-Louis-Georges  Veron  d'Agincourt,  archeologist  and 
distinguished  numismatist,  was  born  at  Beauvais,  April  5th,  1730, 
and  died  at  Rome,  September  24th,  18 14,  at  the  age  of  eighty- four 
years.  D'Agincourt  began  life  at  an  early  age  in  a  cavalry  regiment, 
but  he  soon  renounced  a  military  career.  Having  received  an  ex- 
t;e'llent  education,  the  old  soldier  resolved  to  devote  himself  to  the 
instruction  of  young  orphans.  The  King,  Louis  XV.,  wishing  to 
recompense  his  noble  conduct  and  generous'sacrifice,  appointed  him 
fermier-ge'neral.  Having  thus  become  rich,  d'Agincourt  visited  in 
1777  England,  Holland  and  Germany,  and  in  1778  he  first  visited 
Italy,  which  pleased  him  so  much,  that  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his 
life  there.  He  wrote  the  "  History  of  Art,  by  Sculpture,  from  its 
Decadence  in  the  Fourth  Century  till  its  Rise  in  the  Sixth  Century," 
in  six  volumes,  enriched  with  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  engrav- 
ings. 


136 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


came  to  tell  me  that  the  Pope  wished  me  to  take  his  por- 
trait. I  greatly  desired  to  do  so  ;  but  it  was  necessary 
that  I  should  be  veiled  whilst  painting  His  Holiness,  and 
the  fear  that  under  the  circumstance  I  should  not  be  able 
to  do  justice  to  my  subject,  compelled  me  to  decline  this 
honour.  I  was  very  sorry  about  it,  for  Pius  VI.  was  one 
of  the  handsomest  men  I  had  seen. 

I  arrived  in  Rome,  where  it  rains  so  little,  precisely  at  the 
time  of  the  autumn  showers,  which  are  real  deluges.  I 
had  thus  to  wait  for  fine  weather  to  visit  the  environs.  M. 
Menageot  then  accompanied  me  to  Tivoli  with  my  daugh- 
ter, and  Denis,  the  painter — it  was  a  charming  party.  We 
first  visited  the  cascades,  which  enchanted  me  so  much 
the  gentlemen  could  hardly  induce  me  to  leave.  I  sketch- 
ed them  in  chalk.  The  mountain  which  rises  to  the  left, 
covered  with  olives,  completed  the  charm  from  this  point 
of  view.  ' 

When  at  last  we  left  the  cascades,  Menageot  led  us 
through  a  rough  little  path  to  the  temple  of  the  Sybil, 
where  we  dined  with  very  good  appetite  ;  after  which  I 
lay  down  to  rest  and  take  my  afternoon  siesta  under  the 
columns  of  the  Temple.  From  thence  I  heard  the  sound 
of  the  cascades,  which  soothed  me  deliciously  ;  for  this 
sound  has  nothing  harsh  like  so  many  others  that  I  detest. 
Without  speaking  of  the  terrible  noise  of  thunder,  there 
are  several  which  I  find  are  quite  unbearable,  and  which 
I  can  describe  from  the  impression  they  convey  to  my 
nerves.  There  is  the  dull  noise,  the  sharp  noise  ;  and 
there  are  some  which  are  always  agreeable,  such  as  that  of 
the  waves  on  the  sea-shore,  for  example,  which  is  always 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 37 

lulling  and  fills  me  with  sweet  musings.  I  think  I  should 
be  able  to  write  a  treatise  on  the  sounds  I  have  heard  dur- 
ing my  life,  and  to  which  my  attention  has  been  drawn. 
But  to  return  to  Tivoli.  We  slept  at  the  inn,  and  early 
next  morning  returned  to  the  cascades  where  I  finished 
my  sketch.  After  this  we  visited  the  Grotto  of  Nep- 
tune ;  from  the  height  above  falls  an  enormous  quantity  of 
water,  which  after  boiling  over  the  blocks  of  black  stone, 
goes  to  form  a  large,  tranquil  and  clear  sheet  further  on. 
We  then  entered  the  cave,  which  is  a  mass  of  m.ossy  rocks 
over  which  the  cascades  fall,  making  the  cavern  highly 
picturesque.  From  this  and  near  the  cavern  we  found  an- 
other cascade,  which  was  visible  under  the  arch  of  the 
bridge — I  sketched  it  also  ;  for  all  artists  must  feel  as  I 
did,  that  it  is  impossible  to  walk  round  Rome  without 
feeling  the  desire  to  use  one's  pencil ;  I  have  never  made 
the  smallest  excursion,  not  even  a  walk  without  bringing 
back  some  sketches  I  have  made.  Every  place  was  good 
as  a  site,  any  paper  suited  me  for  making  a  sketch.  I  rec- 
collect,  for  example,  that  during  my  stay  in  Rome,  I  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  M.  Laborde,  which  enclosed  a  letter 
of  exchange  for  18,000  francs  on  his  banker  in  Rome,  in 
payment  for  two  pictures  I  had  sold  him  before  leaving 
France.  Having  no  immediate  need  of  the  money,  I  did 
not  at  once  make  use  of  it,  which  (you  will  see)  was  a  great 
mistake  ;  finding  myself  one  evening  on  the  terrace  of  the 
Trinite-du-Mont,  I  was  struck  with  the'beauty  of  the  sun- 
set ;  and  as  I  had  no  other  paper  with  me  save  the  letter  of 
M.  Laborde,  quite  covered  with  writing,  I  took  the  letter  of 
exchange  which  was  inside,  and  sketched  on  the  back  of 


138 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


it  the  beautiful  sunset.  Three  years  afterwards  when  at 
Turin,  on  my  way  back  to  France,  I  got  on  "  account  "  at 
a  banker's  there  10,000  francs,  which  owing  to  the  bad  ex- 
change on  Paris  was  only  worth  8,000  francs.  In  conse- 
quence of  this  on  my  arrival  in  Paris,  M.  Alexandre  La- 
borde  being  unwilling,  or  perhaps  unable,  to  pay  the  8,000 
francs  still  due,  we  cancelled  the  agreement,  he  returned 
me  my  two  pictures,  and  I  gave  him  back  the  letter  of 
exchange  with  my  sunset  sketched  on  the  outside. 

M.  Menageot  took  us  to  visit  the  Villa  Aldobrandini, 
with  its  superb  park,  and  fine  fountains.  From  the  casino, 
which  is  on  high  ground,  the  view  is  magnificent.  On  one 
side  one  can  see  the  ancient  aqueducts  which  cross  the 
Roman  Campagna  ;  on  the  other  lie  the  sea,  and  the 
beautiful  line  of  the  Apennines,  and  below  again,  Tus- 
culum.  We  went  to  visit  this  ruined  town,  which  was 
built  on  a  mountain.  It  was  sad  to  see  the  masses  of 
stone  which  once  formed  houses,  the  ruined  walls  strag- 
gling on  the  ground.  The  only  part  which  remained 
standing  was  the  court  where  Cicero  held  his  school. 
These  mournful  sights  give  rise  to  sad  thoughts. 

On  leaving  Tusculum  we  visited  Monte  Cavi,  where  we 
had  to  ascend  through  a  forest  of  trees  to  the  summit,  in 
order  to  see  the  remains  of  a  temple  of  Jupiter  which  is 
said  to  have  been  built  by  Tarquinius  Superbus. 

We  also  visited  the  Villa  Conti,  with  its  beautiful  groves 
of  trees ;  then  on  to  the  Villa  Pallavicini,  where  the  casino  is 
superb,  and  the  apartments  very  fine.  Still  further  on  we 
came  upon  a  chapel  in  which  was  an  image  of  Sainte  Vic- 
toire,  very  well  dressed,  and  in  a  shrine.    The  little  boy 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


who  drew  aside  the  curtain  which  covered  it,  accidentally- 
moved  the  Saint,  and  I  thought  my  daughter  would  have 
died  from  fright.  We  finished  this  excursion  by  a  visit  to 
the  Villa  Bracciano,  which  I  tho.ught  beautiful. 

The  recollection  which  I  retain  of  these  superb  villas 
interests  me  far  less  than  that  of  the  grand  ruin  which  is 
called  the  Villa  Adriana.  Notwithstanding  the  enormous 
debris  that  cover  the  ground  on  which  this  vast  antique 
palace  was  built,  one  can  still  judge  of  its  beauties  ;  it  is 
nine  miles  in  circumference,  its  walls  alone  attest  its 
ancient  magnificence,  and  one  may  form  an  idea  of  the 
marvels  which  have  been  taken  from  it,  on  seeing  the 
numbers  of  antique  statues  which  at  the  present  time 
adorn  the  Villa  d'Este,  the  Capitol,  and  so  many  of  the 
palaces  of  Rome.  "Adrian,"  says  M.  de  Lalande  in  his 
"Travels  in  Italy,"  had  "imitated  in  his  palace  all  that 
the  art  of  bygone  times  had  devised.  One  sees  there  a 
lyceum,  an  academy,  the  Portico  and  Temple  of  Thessaly, 
the  Piscina  of  Athens,  &c.,  &c.  A  double  portico  of  great 
length  and  height  had  been  constructed  to  ward  off  the 
fierce  heat  of  the  sun  at  all  hours  of  the  day.  Twenty- 
five  niches  built  in  the  walls  of  the  library,  had  no  doubt 
contained  as  many  statues."  One  recognises  in  these 
famed  ruins  the  excellent  arrangement  of  the  apartments 
which  are  of  vast  size.  The  exterior  and  interior  decora- 
tions have  always  been  the  admiration  of  architects,  as 
much  for  their  style  as  for  their  execution.  We,  alas  !  are 
very  far  removed  from  such  elegance  and  grandeur. 

It  was  with  regret  I  left  this  place  of  splendour  and 
ruin.    Ah  !  what  thoughts  it  gives  rise  to,  and  how  our 


140 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


greatest  works  crumble  into  decay.  Since  the  beginning 
of  the  world  the  marvels  of  the  heavens  alone  remain  un- 
changed. How  can  one  feel  pride,  when  each  step  that 
one  takes  in  the  environs  pf  Rome  reveals  the  instability 
of  earthly  things  ;  for  there  one  tramples  under-foot  the 
chefs-d'oeuvre  of  antiquity.  I  remember  one  day  walk- 
ing near  the  city  with  the  Duchesse  de  Fleury,  we  entered 
a  villa  where  the  garden  was  like  a  wilderness.  We  found 
several  workmen  pulling  down  a  small  house  in  which 
several  statues  and  vases  had  been  discovered,  and  these 
they  threw  down  without  the  least  precaution.  We  were 
furious  against  the  proprietor,  who  had  evidently  left  no 
one  to  superintend  his  workpeople,  and  we  decided  on 
finding  him  out  in  order  to  stop  this  massacre  ;  but  we  dis- 
covered he  was  absent  from  Rome,  and  we  could  do  noth- 
ing to  save  these  interesting  discoveries. 

One  place  that  I  had  a  great  affection  for  was  the  sum- 
mit of  Monte  Mario,  on  which  is  situated  the  Villa  Mel- 
lini.  I  am  told  that  on  making  the  road  up  to  it,  they 
found  quantities  of  oyster  shells  and  a  wheel  similar  to 
those  used  in  the  present  day.  One  sees  here  on  the 
roadside  enormous  trunks  of  felled  trees  ;  these  trees 
were  once  those  that  grew  in  the  sacred  forest,  leading  to 
the  ancient  temple  in  the  spot  "where  the  casino  is  now, 
and  which  is  also  abandoned.  From  the  top  of  the 
mountains  one  can  see  the  beautiful  line  of  the  Apen- 
nines ;  this  view  is  so  magnificent,  the  air  is  so  good,  and  I 
felt  so  happy  there,  that  after  having  come  the  first  time 
with  M.  Menageot,  I  returned  several  times  by  myself, 
and  in  order  that  I  might  stay  there  some  time,  my  ser- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


vant  brought  my  dinner  in  a  basket.  My  dinner  consisted 
of  a  chicken  ;  but  as  there  was  a  sort  of  a  farm  close  by, 
I  used  to  get  from  thence  fresh  eggs,  which  I  added  to 
my  repast.  I  cannot  describe  the  enjoyment  I  derived  in 
contemplating  the  line  of  the  Apennines,  at  the  hour  when 
the  setting  sun  touched  them  with  rainbow  tints  !  The 
celestial  blue  of  the  sky,  the  pure  air,  the  complete  soli- 
tude, all  exalted  my  soul ;  I  addressed  to  heaven  a  prayer 
for  France,  for  my  friends,  and  God  knows  how  I  de- 
spised all  the  pettiness  of  the  world,  for  as  the  poet  Le 
Brun  says  : 

"  L'ame  prend  la  hauteur  des  cieux  qui  I'environnent." 

M.  Menageot  had  cautioned  me  never  to  walk  alone  in 
narrow  and  lonely  paths,  so  my  servant  accompanied  me  ; 
but  I  always  made  him  keep  at  a  distance,  more  particu- 
larly as  his  shoes  made  a  most  disagreeable  noise.  For 
this  reason,  I  said  to  him  one  day  :  "  Germain,  please  to 
keep  at  a  distance,  you  prevent  me  from  thinking."  So 
the  poor  man  who  had  nothing  better  to  do,  amused  him- 
self by  watching  every  person  who  came  near  me,  and  ac- 
costed them  by  saying  :  "  Do  not  go  n^ar  Madame,  it 
prevents  her  thinking,"  which  many  of  my  acquaintances 
repeated  to  me  in  the  evening. 

When  the  heat  became  insupportable  at  Rome,  I  made 
several  excursions  in  the  environs,  wishing  to  find  a  house 
for  myself  and  the  Duchesse  de  Fleury.  I  went  first  to 
^Riccia,  and  took  a  lovely  walk  in  the  woods,  which  are 
superb  and  very  picturesque — there  are  so  many  beautiful 
old  trees,  and  a  pretty  fountain.    After  wandering  about 


142 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


some  time,  we  took  a  house  at  Gen^ano  which  was  ex- 
actly what  we  required.  The  house  had  belonged  to 
Carlo  Maratta  ;  *  one  could  see  on  the  walls  of  the  grand 
salon  several  compositions  traced  by  him,  which  made  it 
very  precious  to  me.  The  Duchess  and  myself  lived 
there  together  most  comfortably. 

As  soon  as  we  were  settled,  our  excursions  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood began.  We  hired  three  donkeys,  for  my  daugh- 
ter was  always  with  us  ;  we  went  first  to  the  lake  of 
Albano,  which  is  very  spacious,  and  the  heights  which 
surround  it  are  delicious.  This  promenade  goes  by  the 
name  of  the  Gallery  of  Albano.  However,  we  soon  preferred 
the  borders  of  the  charming  lake  Nemi,  to  the  left  of  which 
is  a  temple  of  Diana,  the  basement  of  which  is  covered 
by  the  water.  This  lake  is  twelve  miles  in  circumference, 
and  surrounded  by  such  rich  vegetation  that  the  pathway 
is  a  mass  of  scented  flowers.  Above  the  lake  lies  the 
town  of  Nemi  with  its  tower  and  aqueduct.  Once  I  saw  a 
procession  wind  along  the  mountain  path  out  of  the  town, 
and  I  never  witnessed  anything  more  picturesque.  On 
another  occasion  we  visited  the  cemetery,  where  rows  of 
skulls  were  arranged  in  order  ;  Madame  de  Fleury  could 
hardly  be  induced  to  tear  herself  away  from  them  ;  as  for 
myself,  I  could  not  bear  to  look  at  them. 

The  trees  around  the  lake  of  Nemi  are  enormous  ;  some 
are  so  old  that  their  trunks  and  branches  are  whitened  by 


*  Carlo  Maratta,  called  Carlo  della  Madonne,  was  a  celebrated 
painter  of  the  Roman  school,  born  at  Camerano  in  1625,  and  died  at 
Rome  in  1713. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


time.  One  night  we  made  a  party  to  go  and  see  them  by 
moonlight,  and  my  daughter  insisted  on  accompanying  us. 
You  cannot  imagine  anything  more  charming  than  the 
effect  produced  by  these  trees  throwing  their  shadows  on 
the  still  waters  of  the  lake.  We  remained  a  long  time 
lost  in  admiration  ;  but  suddenly  the  trees  becoming  agi- 
tated by  the  wind,  appeared  to  take  the  form  of  mena- 
cing spectres  ;  my  poor  child  was  terribly  frightened,  and 
trembling  said  to  me:  "They  are  living,  mother,  I  assure 
thee  they  are  living." 

In  certain  circumstances,  I  must  own,  my  companion 
and  myself  were  not  much  more  brave  than  my  daughter, 
as  witness  the  following  adventure  :  having  one  day  gone 
together  for  a  walk  in  the  woods  of^Riccia,  in  order  to 
reach  a  lonely  valley  near  there,  we  went  along  a  lonely 
pathway  in  which  to  the  right  hand  and  left  were  ancient 
tombs  covered  with  ivy.  All  at  once  we  perceived  walk- 
ing behind  us  a  man  who  had  all  the  appearance  of  a 
brigand.  We  hastened  our  steps,  the  man  did  the  same  ; 
in  our  terror,  wishing  to  make  believe  that  our  servants 
were  not  far  off,  the  Duchesse  called  Francisco,  and  I, 
Germain  ;  but  the  man  only  came  nearer,  and  feeling  too 
sure  that  the  men  whom  we  called  for  would  not  come, 
we  began  to  run  with  all  our  might,  in  order  to  regain  the 
public  road  which  was  at  the  top  of  the  mountain.  I 
never  found  out  if  the  man  who  forced  us  to  take  such  a 
breathless  race  was  a  brigand  or  simply  a  wayfarer. 


CHAPTER  V. 


I  leave  for  Naples — The  Husband  of  Madame  Denis,  the  Niece  of 
Voltaire — The  Comte  and  Comtesse  Scawronski — Sir  William 
Hamilton — Lady  Hamilton — Her  Story  and  Attitudes — The  Hotel 
of  Morocco,  Chiaja — The  Famese  Hercules. 

HAD  been  in  Rome  for  nearly  eight  months, 
when  seeing  that  all  the  visitors  were  leaving 
for  Naples,  I  decided  on  going  there  also.  I 
mentioned  my  project  to  the  Cardinal  de  Bernis,  who 
whilst  approving,  counselled  me  not  to  go  there  alone. 
He  mentioned  a  Monsieur  Duvivier,  married  to  the  niece 
of  Voltaire,  the  widow  of  M.  Denis,  who  intended  taking 
the  journey,  and  who  would  be  delighted  by  my  accom- 
panying him.  M.  Duvivier  came  himself  to  see  me,  and 
repeated  all  that  the  Cardinal  had  told  me,  and  promised 
to  take  the  greatest  care  of  my  daughter  and  myself.  He 
added,  as  an  additional  inducement,  that  he  had  a  small 
cooking  apparatus  under  his  carriage  sufhcient  to  roast  a 
fowl,  and  which  he  said  would  be  very  useful,  considering 
the  bad  living  we  should  find  in  the  best  inns  of  Terra- 
cina. 

These  fine  offers  suited  me  exactly,  and  we  started 

-with  the  gentleman.    His  carriage  was  a  large  one  ;  my 

daughter  and  her  governess  sat  in  the  front  seat,  besides 

144 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


this  there  was  a  banquette  in  the  middle,  and  an  enor- 
mous valet-de-chambre  came  and  seated  himself  before 
me,  in  such  a  manner  that  his  great  shoulders  touched  and 
annoyed  me.  I  very  rarely  speak  while  travelling,  and 
the  conversation  was  reduced  to  a  few  words.  But,  as  we 
were  crossing  the  Pontine  Marshes,  I  perceived  a  shep- 
herd seated  on  the  banks  of  a  canal,  whilst  his  sheep 
browsed  in  a  field  quite  carpeted  with  flowers,  beyond 
which  one  could  see  the  sea  and  Cape  Circee.  "  This 
would  make  a  charming  picture,"  I  said  to  my  com- 
panion, "the  shepherd,  the  sheep,  the  prairie,  and  the 
sea!"  "These  sheep  are  all  dirty,"  he  replied;  "you 
should  see  what  English  sheep  are  like."  Further  on,  on 
the  road  to  Terracina,  at  the  place  where  one  has  to  cross 
a  Httle  river  in  a  boat,  I  saw  on  the  left,  the  line  of  the 
Apennines  surrounded  by  superb  clouds  that  the  setting 
sun  had  lightened  ;  I  could  not  refrain  from  expressing 
my  admiration. 

"These  clouds  only  promise  us  rain  for  to-morrow," 
said  my  companion. 

On  arrival  at  Terracina  we  stopped  at  an  inn  for  supper, 
and  to  pass  the  night.  We  were  very  hungry,  and  I 
counted  on  the  fowl  M.  Duvivier  had  promised  us  :  but 
apparently  it  had  been  forgotten,  for  we  had  to  content 
ourselves  with  two  horrid  little  dishes,  and  we  resumed  our 
journey,  next  morning  feeling  very  unrefreshed.  The  road 
to  Naples  is  charming  ;  here  and  there  beautiful  trees  are 
seen,  and  the  hedges  are  masses  of  wild  roses  and  scented 
myrtles.  I  was  enchanted,  though  my  companion  said 
"  He  preferred  the  sunny  fine  slopes  of  Bordeaux,  which 
7 


146 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


promised  good  wine,"  but  I  would  not  listen  to  him  any 
more ;  I  decided  my  enthusiasm  should  not  be  frozen  by 
this  iceberg. 

The  following  day  we  arrived  at  Naples  between  two 
and  tjiree  o'clock.  I  cannot  express  the  admiration  I  felt 
on  entering  this  city.  The  brilliant  sunshine,  the  sea  and 
the  islands  which  one  perceives  in  the  distance,  Vesuvius, 
from  whose  summit  rose  a  dense  column  of  smoke,  and 
then  the  population  so  animated,  so  noisy,  and  which  dif- 
fers so  entirely  from  that  of  Rome,  that  one  might  imagine 
the  two  cities  were  a  thousand  miles  apart ;  everything  de- 
lighted me,  but  perhaps  the  pleasure  of  saying  good-bye 
to  my  companions  added  greatly  to  my  satisfaction.  I 
called  this  gentleman  my  '^extinguisher  ;  "  and  since  then 
I  have  frequently  applied  the  term  to  others. 

I  had  engaged  the  Hotel  Morocco,  situated  on  the 
Chiaja,  facing  the  sea.  Just  in  front  of  me  lay  the  Island 
of  Capri,  and  this  situation  charmed  me.  I  had  scarcely 
arrived,  when  the  Russian  Ambassador  to  Naples,  the 
Comte  Scawronski,  sent  one  of  his  servants  to  inquire 
after  me,  and  immediately  afterwards  sent  me  in  a  sumptu- 
ous dinner.  I  was  all  the  more  sensible  of  this  kind  at- 
tention, for  I  should  have  died  of  hunger  before  they  had 
found  the  time  in  my  house  to  think  of  cooking  anything. 
That  same  evening  I  went  to  thank  him,  and  I  then  made 
the  acquaintance  of  his  charming  wife  ;  they  both  en- 
treated me  to  dine  with  them  always,  and  though  it  was 
impossible  for  me  to  avail  myself  altogether  of  their  kind 
proposition,  I  very  frequently  did  so  during  my  stay  at 
Naples,  their  society  was  so  very  delightful  to  me. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  I47 

The  Comte  Scawronski  had  very  noble  and  regular  fea- 
tures ;  he  was  very  pale.  This  pallor  was  caused  by  the 
extreme  delicacy  of  his  health,  which  did  not,  however, 
prevent  his  being  perfectly  amiable,  and  a  brilHant  talker. 
The  Comtesse  was  gentle  and  lovely  as  an  angel ;  the 
famous  Potemkin,  her  uncle,  had  loaded  her  v\^ith  riches 
of  which  she  made  no  use.  Her  happiness  was  to  lie 
stretched  on  a  sofa,  wrapped  in  a  large  black  pelisse,  and 
wearing  no  stays.  Her  mother-in-law  ordered  for  her 
from  Mademoiselle  Bertin,  marchande  de  modes  to  the 
Queen  Marie  Antoinette,  boxes  full  of  the  most  exquisite 
dresses.  I  do  not  believe  the  Comtesse  ever  looked  at 
them,  and  when  her  mother-in-law  entreated  her  to  wear 
them,  she  answered  carelessly:  "What  is  the  use?  for 
whom  ?  for  what  ? "  She  made  me  the  same  answer  on 
showing  me  her  jewel  case,  one  of  the  richest  imaginable  ; 
it  contained  the  enormous  diamonds,  which  had  been 
given  her  by  Potemkin,  and  that  I  had  never  seen  her  wear. 
I  remember  her  telling  me,  that  to  enable  her  to  sleep 
she  kept  a  slave  under  her  bed,  who  every  night  told  her 
the  same  story.  In  the  day  time  she  remained  constantly 
idle  ;  she  was  quite  uneducated,  and  had  no  conversation  : 
in  spite  of  all  this,  thanks  to  her  lovely  face  and  angelic 
sweetness,  she  possessed  an  invincible  charm.  Comte 
Scawronski  was  very  much  in  love  with  her,  and  after  his 
death,  the  Comtesse,  whom  I  met  again  at  St.  Petersburg, 
married  the  Bailli  de  Litta,  who  returned  to  Milan  to  give 
up  his  appointment  in  order  to  marry  this  careless  beauty. 
She  had  two  daughters  by  her  first  husband,  one  of  whom 
married  the  Prince  Bagration. 


148 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


Their  society  was  very  agreeable  to  me,  and  I  passed 
most  of  my  evenings  at  the  Russian  Embassy.  The 
Count  and  his  wife  often  made  up  a  whist  party  with  the 
Abbe  Bertrand,  who  was  then  French  Consul  at  Naples. 
The  Abbe  was  deformed  in  every  sense  of  the  term,  and 
I  do  not  know  by  what  fatality  it  was  that,  as  soon  as  I 
was  seated  near  him,  the  song  of  the  hump-backed  always 
ran  in  my  head.  I  had  great  difficulty  in  turning  my 
mind  from  the  subject.  At  last,  one  evening  my  pre- 
occupation became  such  that  I  began  to  hum  quite  loudly 
the  unfortunate  song ;  I  stopped  short  suddenly,  and  the 
Abbe  turning  towards  me  in  the  most  amiable  manner, 
said  :  "  Go  on,  Madame,  go  on,  it  does  not  wound  me  in 
the  least."  I  cannot  conceive  how  I  could  have  com- 
mitted such  a  breach  of  good  manners  ;  and  I  can  never 
forgive  myself. 

Comte  Scawronski  had  made  me  promise  to  paint  his 
wife  before  anyone  else  at  Naples  ;  I  agreed,  and  two 
days  after  my  arrival,  I  commenced  the  portrait  of  the 
Ambassadress  almost  full  length,  holding  in  her  hand  a 
medallion  in  which  was  the  portrait  of  her  husband.  I 
had  given  my  first  sitting,  when  I  received  a  visit  from  the 
English  Ambassador,  Sir  William  Hamilton,  who  begged 
as  a  favour  that  the  first  portrait  I  took  at  Naples  should 
be  that  of  a  beautiful  woman  he  presented  to  me  ;  it  was 
Mrs.  Hart,  his  mistress,  who  shortly  afterwards  became 
Lady  Hamilton,  and  whose  beauty  has  made  her  cele- 
brated. After  the  promise  given  to  my  amiable  neigh- 
bours, I  would  not  commence  this  portrait  until  that  of 
the  Comtesse  Scawronski  was  already  far  advanced.  I 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 49 

also  took  a  fresh  portrait  of  Lord  Bristol,  whom  I  found 
again  at  Naples ;  one  may  say  he  passed  his  life  on  Vesu- 
vius, for  he  ascended  the  mountain  every  day. 

I 'painted  Mrs.  Hart  as  a  Bacchante  reposing  on  the 
sea-shore,  and  holding  in  her  hand  a  cup.  Her  lovely 
face  was  very  animated,  and  was  a  complete  contrast  to 
that  of  the  Countess  ;  she  had  an  enormous  quantity  of 
beautiful  chestnut  hair,  which  when  loose  covered  her  en- 
tirely— thus  as  a  Bacchante  she  was  perfect. 

Sir  William  Hamilton  had  this  portrait  done  for  him- 
self ;  but  I  must  mention  that  he  frequently  sold  his  pic- 
tures when  he  found  he  could  make  money  on  them,  which 
caused  the  eldest  son  of  our  Ambassador  at  Naples,  M. 
de  Talleyrand,  to  say  ome  day  on  hearing  that  Sir  William 
Hamilton  was  a  patron  of  art  :  "  Say  rather  it  is  art 
who  is  his  patron."  The  truth  is  that  after  having  bar-* 
gained  a  long  time  for  the  portrait  of  his  mistress,  he  got 
me  to  do  it  for  a  hundred  louis,  which  was  2,400  francs, 
and  that  he  sold  it  afterwards  in  London  for  three  hun- 
dred guineas,  or  in  French  money  8,000  francs.  Later 
on  when  I  had  again  painted  Lady  Hamilton  as  a  sybil 
for  the  Due  de  Brissac,  I  made  a  copy  of  the  head  as  a 
present  to  Sir  William  Hamilton,  who  without  hesitation 
sold  it. 

The  life  of  Lady  Hamilton  is  a  romance  ;  she  was 
called  Emma  Lyon,  sometimes  Mrs.  Hart.  Her  mother 
is  reported  to  have  been  only  a  poor  servant ;  at  thirteen 
years  of  age  she  entered  a  tradesman's  family  at  Hawarden 
as  nurse,  but  tired  of  the  obscurity  in  which  she  lived, 
and  fancying  that  in  London  she  would  get  a  better  situa- 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


tion,  she  went  there.  The  Prince  of  Wales  told  me  he 
had  seen  her  at  that  time  standing  in  clogs  at  a  fruiterer's 
door,  and  though  very  poorly  dressed,  her  lovely  face  had 
attracted  his  attention. 

A  retailer  in  the  market  took  her  into  his  service,  but 
she  soon  left  him  to  become  maid  to  a  lady  of  good  family 
and  position.  In  this  house  she  acquired  the  taste  for 
theatres.  She  studied  the  attitudes,  the  inflections  in  the 
voice  of  actors,  and  imitated  them  perfectly.  This  talent 
did  not  please  or  suit  her  mistress,  who  dismissed  her  in 
consequence. 

It  was  then  that  having  heard  of  a  tavern  much  fre- 
quented by  artists,  she  decided  on  going  there  to  seek  for 
employment.  Her  beauty  was  at  its  height ;  and  besides 
she  was  very  steady.  In  this  situation  she  soon  fell  away 
from  the  jmih  of  virtue,  and  after  being  abandoned  by 
different  lovers,  found  herself  reduced  to  the  lowest  stage 
of  degradation.  A  strange  chance  drew  her  out  of  the 
abyss.  A  Dr.  Graham  hired  her  to  show  her  at  his  house, 
under  the  name  of  the  Goddess  of  Health  ;  she  was  only 
covered  with  a  thin  veil ;  crowds  of  people  went  to  see 
her,  artists  especially  were  charmed  with  her.  Some  time 
after  this  exhibition,  a  painter,  by  name  Romney,  took  her 
as  his  model ;  he  put  her  in  a  thousand  graceful  attitudes 
and  placed  her  in  his  pictures.  It  was  there  she  acquired 
that  habit  of  being  able  to  change  her  expression  in  a  mo- 
ment, which  afterwards  made  her  so  celebrated.  Nothing 
in  fact  was  more  curious  than  to  watch  the  facility  which 
Lady  Hamiliton  had  of  expressing  in  her  features  either 
joy  or  sorrow,  and  of  imitating  different  persons.  One 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  151 

moment  she  would  be  a  delightful  bacchante,  with  ani- 
mated eyes,  and  hair  in  disorder,  then  all  at  once  her  face 
would  express  sorrow,  and  you  saw  a  beautiful  repentant 
Magdalen.  The  day  Sir  W.  Hamilton  introduced  her  to 
me,  he  wished  me  to  see  her  perform  ;  I  was  enchanted, 
but  she  being  dressed  in  the  prevailing  fashion,  it  shocked 
me.  I  made  her  get  more  artistic  clothes,  and  with  shawls 
which  she  knew  so  well  how  to  drape,  one  could  have 
painted  quite  a  gallery  of  pictures  from  her  different  atti- 
tudes and  expressions. 

To  return  to  the  romantic  life  of  Emma  Lyon,  it  Vi^as 
whilst  she  was  with  the  painter  I  have  just  mentioned,  that 
Lord  Greville,  a  son  of  the  noble  family  of  Warwick,  fell 
so  desperately  in  love  with  her,  that  he  wished  to  marry 
her,  when  in  1779  ^"^^  suddenly  lost  his  place  under  gov- 
ernment, and  his  fortune.  He  started  immediately  for 
Naples  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  assistance  from  his  uncle. 
Sir  William  Hamilton,  and  took  Emma  with  him,  the 
better  to  plead  his  cause  with  this  relative.  The  uncle 
consented  to  pay  his  debts,  on  condition  that  Emma 
should  belong  to  him.  I  have  these  details  from  Lord 
Greville  himself.  Emma  thus  became  Sir  William  Hamil- 
ton's mistress,  till  the  spring  of  1781,  when  he  decided  on 
marrying  her,  in  spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  his  family. 
He  said  to  me,  on  leaving  for  London  :  "  She  shall  be  my 
wife  in  spite  of  them  ;  after  all  it  is  for  myself  I  marry 
her."' 

Thus,  it  was  as  Lady  Hamilton  that  he  brought  her 
back  to  Naples  a  short  time  afterwards,  and  she  became 
as  grand  a  lady  as  could  be.  It  is  asserted  that  the  Queen 


152 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


of  Naples  was  very  intimate  with  her,  and  it  is  true  that 
the  Queen  saw  her,  but  it  may  be  said  only  politically. 
Lady  Hamilton  being  very  indiscreet,  put  her  au  couf^ant 
of  a  host  of  little  diplomatic  secrets,  which  Her  Majesty 
made  use  of  for  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom. 

Lady  Hamilton  was  not  at  all  witty,  though  very  sar- 
castic and  ill-natured,  and  these  two  faults  were  the  mov- 
ing spring  of  her  conversation  ;  she  was  very  crafty,  and 
succeeded  in  getting  married  by  exercising  all  her  cunning. 
She  had  no  style,  and  dressed  badly  as  a  rule.  I  remem- 
ber that  the  first  time  I  took  her  portrait,  at  my  third  sit- 
ting at  her  house  at  Caserta,  the  Duchesse  de  Fleury  and 
Princesse  Joseph  de  Monaco  were  present.  I  had  ar- 
ranged a  shawl  round  her  head  in  the  form  of  a  turban,  one 
end  of  which  fell  in  graceful  drapery.  This  head-dress 
suited  her  so  well,  that  the  ladies  thought  her  exquisitely 
beautiful.  Sir  W.  Hamilton  having  invited  us  all  to  stay 
to  dinner,  Mrs.  Hart  (for  she  was  not  then  married)  left 
us  for  a  short  time  in  order  to  change  her  dress,  and  when 
she  again  entered  the  salon,  her  dress,  which  was  of  the 
most  vulgar  description,  had  so  entirely  changed  her 
appearance  to  her  disadvantage  that  the  two  ladies  could 
scarcely  recognise  her. 

When  I  visited  London  in  1802,  Lady  Hamilton  had 
just  lost  her  husband.  I  left  my  card  at  her  house,  and 
she  came  at  once  attired  in  the  deepest  mourning  to  see 
me.  She  wore  an  immense  black  veil,  and  had  cut  off  all 
her  beautiful  hair  to  dress  it  a  la  Titus,  which  was  then 
the  fashion,  I  found  this  Andromache  enormous  ;  for  she 
had  become  horribly  fat.    She  told  me  weeping,  that  she 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 53 

was  much  to  be  pitied,  for  in  Sir  William  she  had  lost  both 
a  friend  and  a  father,  and  that  she  should  never  be  con- 
soled. I  confess  that  her  grief  made  very  slight  impres- 
sion on  me  ;  for  I  thought  I  could  perceive  she  was  play- 
ing a  part,  more  especially,  as  a  few  minutes  afterwards, 
seeing  some  music  lying  on  my  piano,  she  began  to  sing* 
one  of  the  airs  she  found  amongst  it. 

Every  one  knows  that,  whilst  at  Naples,  Lord  Nelson 
was  very  much  in  love  with  her.  She  kept  up  a  most 
tender  correspondence  with  him  ;  and  one  morning  when 
I  went  to  see  her,  finding  her  radiant  with  joy  and  wearing 
a  rose  in  her  hair  like  Nina,  I  asked  her  why  she  had 
placed  it  there.  It  is  because  I  have  just  received  a 
letter  from  Lord  Nelson,"  she  replied. 

The  Due  de  Berri  and  the  Due  de  Bourbon,  having 
heard  of  her  attitudes,  expressed  a  great  wish  to  see  her 
perform,  which  she  had  always  declined  doing  in  London. 
I  begged  her  to  give  me  an  evening  for  the  two  Princes. 
I  also  invited  a  few  other  Frenchmen  who  I  knew  were 
very  curious  to  witness  the  scene  ;  and  I  placed  in  the 
centre  of  my  drawing-room  a  very  large  frame,  enclosed 
on  the  right  and  left  by  two  screens.  I  had  arranged  the 
light  so  as  to  shine  on  Lady  Hamilton,  as  one  would  light 
up  a  picture.  Everyone  having  arrived,  Lady  Hamilton 
went  through  numerous  attitudes  inside  the  frame,  in  a 
truly  admirable  manner.  She  had  with  her  a  child,  between 
seven  and  eight  years  of  age,  and  who  resembled  her  greatly. 
I  am  informed  that  the  child  was  the  daughter  of  Lord 
Nelson.  She  brought  her  into  the  tableaux,  and  recalled 
to  me  the  picture  by  Poussin,  of  the  "  Rape  of  the  Sabine 


154 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


women."  She  passed  from  sorrow  to  joy,  and  from  joy 
to  terror,  so  splendidly,  that  we  were  all  enchanted. 

As  she  remained  to  supper,  the  Due  de  Bourbon,  who 
was  seated  by  my  side,  made  me  remark  the  quantity  of 
porter  she  drank.  She  must  have  been  well  accustomed 
to  it,  for  she  was  not  tipsy  even  after  two  or  three  bottles. 
A  long  while  after  I  left  London,  in  1815,  I  heard  that 
Lady  Hamilton  had  died  at  Calais  in  great  misery  and  lone- 
liness. 

I  have  taken  my  reader  far  from  Naples  hi  1790  ;  so  I 
must  go  back  there. 

I  was  delighted  with  my  residence  at  the  Hotel  Morocco, 
to  say  nothing  of  my  kind  friends  being  so  near  me.  From 
my  windows  I  revelled  in  the  most  magnificent  view  and 
the  gayest  thoroughfare.  The  sea,  with  the  island  of 
Capri  in  front  of  me,  Vesuvius  to  the  left,  which  promised 
an  eruption  from  the  quantity  of  smoke  it  emitted  ;  to  the 
right  the  hill  of  Pausilippo,  covered  with  beautiful  villas, 
and  superb  vegetation,  then  the  quay  of  the  Chiaja  always 
so  animated,  and  which  presented  so  many  and  amusing 
pictures  ;  sometimes  it  was  the  lazzaroni  who  came  to 
quench  their  thirst  at  the  fountain  in  front  of  my  windows, 
where  the  young  washerwomen  came  to  wash  their  clothes  ; 
on  Sundays  it  was  the  young  peasants,  in  their  finest  cos- 
tumes, who  danced  the  tarantella  before  my  house,  play- 
ing the  tamborine ;  and  every  evening  I  could  see  the 
fishermen  with  their  torches,  whose  light  was  reflected  in 
the  sea.  Beyond  my  bed-room  was  an  open  verandah 
which  looked  into  a  garden  of  orange  trees  in  full  flower ; 
but  as  everything  in  this  world  has  its  drawback,  my  rooms 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


had  one,  which  I  was  obliged  to  make  the  best  of.  For 
many  hours  every  morning  I  was  unable  to  open  my 
windows  facing  the  quay,  as  underneath  them  an  itinerant 
cooking  place  was  posted,  where  the  women  cooked  their 
dinner,  generally  of  tripe  fried  in  horribly  bad  oil,  the 
odour  of  which  came  into  my  rooms.  I  was  obliged  there- 
fore to  look  at  the  sea  through  closed  windows.  How 
beautiful  is  the  Bay  of  Naples  ;  I  have  frequently  passed 
hours  of  the  night  in  contemplating  it,  when  its  waves 
were  calm  and  silvery  from  the  reflection  of  a  superb  moon. 
I  frequently  took  a  boat,  in  order  to  enjoy  the  magnificent 
coup-d'oeil  which  the  city  presents  from  the  sea,  and  which 
rises  as  an  amphitheatre.  Sir  William  Hamilton  had  a 
small  casino  on  the  shore  where  I  frequently  dined.  He 
used  to  throw  pence  into  the  sea  for  young  boys  to  dive 
for,  and  when  I  had  begun  to  tremble  for  their  safety,  as 
they  remained  so  long  under  the  water,  they  would  re-appear 
triumphantly  holding  the  money  in  their  mouths.  This 
little  casino  recalls  to  my  remembrance  another  trait  of 
Sir  William  Hamilton.  One  day  when  I  was  there  I  drew 
on  the  upper  panels  of  the  door,  in  chalk,  two  cherub's 
heads  ;  I  was  much  surprised  to  see  them  again  in  England 
at  Lord  Warwick's.  He  had  had  the  panels  cut  out  and 
sold  my  sketches  ;  I  do  not  recollect  for  what  amount. 
The  beautiful  public  garden  of  the  Villa  Reale  is  on 
the  Chiaja,  and  becomes  in  the  evening  a  delightful  pro- 
menade. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


The  Baron  Talleyrand — Island  of  Capri— Vesuvius— Ischia  and  Pro- 
cida — The  Mont  St.  Nicolas — Portraits  of  the  eldest  daughters  of 
the  Queen  of  Naples — Portrait  of  the  Prince  Royal — Paesiello — 
Nina — Pausilippo. 

IMMEDIATELY  on  my  arrival  at  Naples,  I 
called  on  M.  le  Baron  Talleyrand,  then  French 
Ambassador  to  the  Court,  who  showed  me 
every  kindness  throughout  my  stay  there.  I  found  the 
amiable  Portuguese  Madame  Silva  was  still  with  him,  and 
together  we  planned  numerous  excursions.  We  first  of 
all  visited  the  island  of  Capri.  The  eldest  son  of  M.  de 
Talleyrand  and  the  Comte  de  la  Roche-Aymon  accom- 
panied us.  They  had  hired  two  musicians,  one  to  sing 
and  the  other  to  play  the  guitar.  We  embarked  at  mid- 
night by  the  light  of  a  beautiful  moon  ;  but  the  sea  was 
very  rough,  the  great  waves  seemed  as  though  they  would 
engulf  us  at  every  moment,  and  I  confess  I  nearly  died  of 
fright.  As  an  excuse  I  must  mention  that  I  had  never 
made  so  long  a  voyage  before,  my  only  previous  experi- 
ence being  at  Mordit,  where  the  crossing  is  very  short. 

W^hen  we  had  fairly  put  off  from  the  shore,  M.  de  Tal- 
leyrand told  his  musicians  to  sing ;  but  the  two  poor  fel- 

156 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  15/ 

lows  were  so  dreadfully  sea-sick,  it  was  impossible  for 
them  to  attempt  it.  Madame  Silva  and  the  young  Baron 
were  also  very  ill;  M.  de  la  Roche-Aymon  and  myself 
were  only  slightly  uncomfortable. 

At  last  after  having  been  tossed  incessantly  by  these 
terrible  waves,  we  landed  shortly  after  sunrise  on  the  island 
of  Capri.  We  found  there  only  a  few  fishermen,  who  in- 
habited the  caverns  in  the  rocks  on  the  sea-shore.  One 
of  them  offered  himself  as  our  guide,  and  we  hired  donkeys, 
as  we  wished  to  ascend  to  the  highest  peak  of  the  island, 
the  platform  of  St.  Michel,  where  we  enjoyed  a  splendid 
view  of  the  sea  and  mainland,  with  Vesuvius,  and  the  ad- 
jacent mountains.  It  was  here  that  the  palace  of  Tiberius 
stood,  of  which  there  remains  one  broken  column.  It  was 
from  this  great  height  that  Tiberius  had  not  only  his  slaves, 
but  all  those  who  displeased  him  thrown  into  the  sea. 

We  were  shown  a  pretty  house  which  had  been  built  for 
an  invalid  Englishman,  who  had  long  been  given  over  by 
the  medical  men  at  Naples.  Having  followed  their  ad- 
vice and  taken  up  a  residence  at  Capri,  he  lived  there  for 
more  than  twenty  years  without  any  suffering. 

After  having  greatly  enjoyed  the  reviving  air  and  charm- 
ing scenery,  we  returned  to  Naples,  much  pleased  with  our 
expedition,  with  the  exception  however  of  the  young  Baron 
de  Talleyrand,  who  received  a  rare  reprimand  from  his 
father,  for  having  taken  the  voyage  in  such  bad  weather 
and  in  so  fragile  a  boat. 

What  I  desired  more  than  anything  else  was  to  make 
the  ascent  of  Vesuvius,  and  I  induced  Madame  Silva  and 
the  Abbe  Bertrand  to  accompany  me. 


158 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


I  will  now  copy  the  end  of  a  letter  I  wrote  from  Naples 
to  my  friend  M.  Brongniart,  the  architect,  as  the  impression 
made  on  me  by  the  terrible  phenomena  was  at  that  time 
more  recent  and  more  vivid. 

"  Now  I  must  tell  you  of  my 

various  expeditions  up  Vesuvius. 

"  The  first  time  my  companions  and  myself  were  caught 
in  a  frightful  storm,  accompanied  by  rain,  which  resembled 
the  deluge.  We  were  drenched,  but  none  the  less  we  con- 
tinued our  road  towards  a  portion  of  the  summit,  where 
we  could  see  one  of  the  great  streams  of  lava  running  at 
our  feet.  I  seemed  to  be  standing  near  one  of  the  en- 
trances to  the  infernal  regions,  for  the  stream  of  fire,  which 
suffocated  me,  was  nine  miles  in  extent.  The  bad 
weather  on  that  day  prevented  our  going  further,  and  the 
smoke  and  quantity  of  cinders  which  covered  us,  made 
the  summit  of  the  mountain  invisible.  The  thunders  of 
heaven  and  the  mountain  mingled  together  continually,  the 
noise  was  terrific,  and  as  we  were  precisely  under  the 
cloud,  we  all  trembled  lest  the  movement  of  our  party  re- 
turning should  attract  the  lightning. 

"  I  reached  my  house  in  a  pitiable  condition  ;  my  dress 
was  simply  a  drenched  cinder  ;  I  was  nearly  dead  with 
fatigue  ;  and  went  to  bed  rejoicing. 

"  Far  from  being  discouraged  by  my  first  attempt,  a  few 
days  afterwards  I  made  my  second  venture  up  my  dear 
Vesuvius.    This  time  my  little  brunette  *  accompanied 


*  Madame  Vigee  Le  Bnin  habitually  called  her  daughter  by  this 
name. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 59 

me  ;  I  wanted  her  to  see  this  grand  spectacle.  Monsieur 
de  la  Chenaye  and  two  other  persons  joined  us.  The 
weather  was  perfect.  Before  nightfall  we  were  on  the 
mountain,  to  see  the  ancient  streams  of  lava  and  watch 
the  sunset  on  the  sea.  The  volcano  was  more  furious 
than  ever,  and  as  in  the  day  time  no  fire  can  be  seen,  we 
watched  the  shower  of  cinders  and  lava  pouring  out  of  the 
crater,  and  remarked  the  beautiful  hue  the  setting  sun 
threw  over  the  scene. 

"  We  mounted  to  the  Hermitage.  The  sun  set  glori- 
ously behind  the  islands  of  Ischia  and  Procida  ;  what  a 
view  !  Then  night  came  on,  and  the  smoke  was  trans- 
formed into  flames,  the  most  beautiful  sight  imaginable. 
Tongues  of  fire  darted  from  the  crater,  sending  out  great 
stones  from  the  mouth,  and  the  earth  shook  beneath  our 
feet.  I  was  really  a  little  frightened  ;  but  did  not  allow 
myself  to  show  it,  on  account  of  my  poor  little  girl,  who 
said  to  me  crying  :  '  Mamma,  must  I  be  frightened  ? ' 

"  This  grand  scene  of  destruction  was  so  imposing  and 
awful,  that  I  could  not  refrain  from  continually  looking 
back  on  my  return  journey  to  Naples,  to  see  again  and 
again  these  tongues  and  streams  of  fire.  Give  me  some 
news  of  yourself,  and  of  our  friends,  &c." 

Since  that  letter,  I  frequently  visited  Vesuvius,  and  on 
one  occasion  was  almost  lost  in  a  fog. 

One  of  the  most  charming  excursions  that  I  made  in  the 
environs  of  Naples  was  with  Sir  W.  Hamilton  and  Mrs. 
Hart ;  we  visited  the  islands  of  Ischia  and  Procida,  and 
were  absent  five  days.  The  weather  was  lovely  ;  the  sea 
was  like  a  lake,  so  calm  and  still. 


i6o 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


At  half -past  nine  o'clock  we  reached  Procida,  and  im- 
mediately took  a  walk,  during  which  I  was  struck  with  the 
beauty  of  the  women  we  met  on  the  road.  Nearly  all  of 
them  were  tall,  and  their  costumes  as  well  as  their  faces, 
recalled  the  Grecian  type  of  women.  There  were  very 
few  nice  houses,  the  cultivation  in  the  island  consisting  of 
vines  and  fruit  trees.  We  dined  at  noon  with  the  Gov- 
ernor ;  from  the  terrace  of  his  house,  one  could  see  Cape 
Misenum,  the  Elysian  fields,  and  in  fact  all  that  Virgil  has 
described  ;  these  different  points  of  view  are  sufficiently 
near  to  enable  one  to  distinguish  the  details,  and  Vesuvius 
is  seen  in  the  distance. 

After  dinner  we  again  entered  our  boat  in  order  to 
reach  Ischia  by  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  ;  the  island  is 
volcanic,  and  is  fifteen  leagues  in  extent,  and  everywhere 
one  can  observe  extinct  craters.  The  hills  are  all  culti- 
vated. Saint  Nicolas,  the  highest  mountain  in  the  envi- 
rons of  Naples,  is  higher  than  Vesuvius. 

At  Ischia  we  met  many  agreeable  people,  amongst 
these  the  family  of  General  Baron  Salis  ;  the  following 
morning  at  six  o'clock,  we,  to  the  number  of  twenty  per- 
sons, all  started  on  donkeys,  to  make  the  ascent  of  Saint 
Nicolas,  where  we  intended  to  dine.  The  road  was  very 
precipitous,  and  a  dense  fog  coming  on  made  it  danger- 
ous, for  my  donkey  persisted  in  walking  on  the  verge  of 
the  precipice,  and  I  had  entirely  lost  sight  of  my  compan- 
ions. I  followed  on,  however,  but  not  without  commend- 
ing my  soul  to  God.  One  may  imagine  the  terror  I  was 
in,  and  the  relief  to  my  mind,  when  I  heard  the  tingle  of  a 
little  bell,  which  I  at  once  thought  was  that  of  the  hermit 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


I6l 


where  we  were  all  to  dine.  I  found  all  the  company  had 
arrived  before  me,  but  the  fog  was  so  thick  it  was  impossi- 
ble to  see  anything  ;  but  after  a  while  the  clouds  broke, 
and  a  splendid  sky  appeared. 

We  were  contemplating  the  magnificent  view  when 
General  Salis  came  to  warn  us  that  dinner  was  ready,  an 
announcement  to  which  we  were  by  no  means  indifferent, 
after  so  much  fatigue  and  tribulation.  The  dinner,  which 
he  gave  us,  might  be  compared  to  that  of  Lucullus ; 
everything  was  recherche,  nothing  was  wanting,  even  to 
the  ices  with  which  we  ended  our  repast.  The  astonish- 
ment of  the  three  good  monks,  who  inhabit  the  rocks,  and 
who  profited  by  all  that  was  left  of  our  meal,  was  very  en- 
tertaining. 

After  dinner,  Madame  Silva  and  myself  took  our  siesta 
in  the  open  air,  reposing  on  sacks  of  barley,  amidst  the 
odour  of  broom  and  a  thousand  different  flowers.  Then 
we  again  mounted  our  donkeys  to  visit  the  other  side  of 
the  island,  where  we  saw  many  interesting  spots  and  re- 
turned much  pleased  with  our  excursion. 

I  also  visited  Psestum,  and  though  the  distance  from 
Naples  is  only  twenty-five  leagues,  yet  the  journey  is  very 
fatiguing ;  but  I  felt  capable  of  braving  anything  for  the 
satisfaction  of  admiring  monuments  which  are  between 
three  and  four  thousand  years  old.  OF  the  three  temples 
still  standing,  that  of  Juno  was  in  a  beautiful  state  of  pre- 
servation ;  from  the  exterior  one  might  imagine  it  to  be 
quite  perfect.  This  temple  is  noble  and  imposing,  as  is 
everything  belonging  to  the  ancients,  near  whoni  we  are 
but  pigmies.    I  was  much  surprised  on  visiting  Pompeii 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


and  Herculaneum  at  the  smallness  of  the  houses  and  the 
temple  of  Isis,  and  must  believe  that  the  excavated  part 
was  only  a  suburb  of  the  real  city. 

These  excursions  and  many  others  did  not  prevent  my 
painting  a  great  deal  at  Naples.  I  had  undertaken  so 
many  portraits,  that  on  my  first  visit  to  that  city  I  re- 
mained six  months,  though  I  had  only  intended  remaining 
six  weeks.  The  French  Ambassador,  M.  le  Baron  de  Tal- 
leyrand came  one  morning  to  announce  that  the  Queen  of 
Naples  wanted  me  to  take  the  portraits  of  her  two  eldest 
daughters,  which  I  commenced  without  delay.  Her  Ma- 
jesty was  on  the  point  of  leaving  for  Vienna  for  the  pur- 
pose of  arranging  the  marriages  of  the  Princesses.  I 
recollect  that  on  her  return  she  said  to  me  :  "  I  had  a 
prosperous  journey,  for  I  have  happily  settled  two  mar- 
riages for  my  daughters."  The  eldest  married  shortly 
afterwards  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  Francis  II.,  and  the 
second,  who  was  called  Louisa,  married  the  Grand-buke 
of  Tuscany.  This  last  one  was  very  ugly,  and  made  such 
dreadful  faces,  that  I  did  not  wish  to  finish  her  portrait. 
She  died  a  few  years  after  her  marriage. 

When  the  Queen  was  gone,  I  painted  the  Prince  Royal 
also.  The  hour  for  my  sittings  at  the  Palace  was  always 
at  noon,  and  to  get  there  I  had  to  pass  along  the  Chiaja 
at  the  hottest  time  of  the  day.  The  houses  to  the  left, 
facing  the  sea,  are  all  painted  pure  white,  and  the  glare  of 
the  sun  on  them  nearly  blinded  me.  To  save  my  eyes  I 
decided  on  wearing  a  green  veil,  which,  as  I  had  never  seen 
one  worn  by  any  one  previously,  must  have  appeared  very 
singular,  for  the  veils  then  worn  were  either  white  or  black; 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 63 

but  a  few  days  afterwards  I  noticed  several  Englishwomen 
imitated  me,  and  green  veils  became  the  fashion.  ' 

I  found  the  benefit  of  my  green  veil  when  at  St.  Peters- 
burg, where  the  snow  is  so  dazzling  I  should  have  lost  my 
sight. 

At  this  time  I  commenced  the  portrait  of  Paesiello. 
Whilst  giving  me  a  sitting  he  composed  a  piece  of  music, 
which  was  to  be  performed  on  the  return  of  the  Queen. 
I  was  charmed  with  this  circumstance,  as  it  enabled  me  to 
seize  the  traits  of  the  great  musician  at  the  moment  of  in- 
spiration. 

I  had  been  compelled  to  leave  my  dear  Hdtel  Morocco, 
because,  after  having  admired  all  the  day,  I  felt  obliged  to 
to  sleep  at  night,  and  I  found  it  impossible  to  close  my 
eyes.  The  incessant  rumbling  of  the  carriages  up  and 
down  the  Chiaja  was  quite  unbearable,  and  at  last  decided 
me  on  leaving  my  hotel.  I  settled  myself  again  in  a  pretty 
little  house  quite  on  the  sea-shore,  for  the  waves  broke 
underneath  my  windows.  I  was  enchanted,  for  this  sound 
soothed  me  deliciously  ;  but,  alas  !  eight  days  afterwards 
there  came  a  storm,  a  tempest  so  violent,  that  the  furious 
waves  mounted  even  into  my  rooms.  I  was  inundated, 
and  the  fear  of  a  recurrence  compelled  me  to  leave  my 
charming  little  house,  much  to  my  regret. 

After  having  left  this  house,  I  hired  one  outside  but 
quite  near  the  city,  and  took  possession  on  Christmas  Eve. 

The  first  evening,  as  I  was  just  going  to  bed,  I  was  all 
at  once  deafened  by  the  explosion  of  quantities  of  squibs, 
which  a  number  of  boys  had  let  off,  and  were  throwing 
into  my  court  and  windows  ;  this  amusement  lasted  three 


164 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


days  and  nights.  Besides  this,  I  was  almost  frozen  in  these 
apartments  ;  as  I  was  then  engaged  with  the  portrait  of 
Paesiello,  we  had  both  of  us  to  keep  our  fingers  warm  by 
continually  breathing  on  them.  I  lighted  a  fire  in  my 
studio,  but  as  in  Italy  more  attention  is  bestowed  in  the 
endeavour  to  keep  a  house  cool,  the  chimneys  (mine  being 
no  exception)  are  so  badly  built,  that  the  smoke  nearly 
suffocated  us.  Our  eyes  streamed  with  water,  and  I  can 
never  understand  how  I  was  able  to  finish  his  portrait. 

Paesiello's  popularity  was  at  its  height*  at  this  time  all 
over  Italy.  I  often  went  to  the  Grand  Opera  with  the 
Comtesse  Scawronski  ;  and  was  present  at  the  first  repre- 
sentation of  "  Nina,"  which  is  certainly  a  master-piece ; 
but  though  the' music  of  Paesiello  is  very  beautiful,  it  did 
not  afford  me  the  same  amoiyit  of  pleasure  as  that  of  Dala- 
grac.  The  theatre  of  San  Carlo,  in  which  this  opera  was 
given,  is  the  largest  in  Europe.  I  was  there  on  the  day 
of  the  Queen's  fete  ;  it  was  magnificently  lighted,  and 
crowded  ;  the  coiip-a'ccil  was  superb.  I  remember  having 
laughed  very  much  that  day  at  an  amusing  mistake  I  made. 
Seeing  the  Baronne  de  Talleyrand  seated  near  me,  and 
not  having  seen  her  for  some  time,  I  crossed  over  to  her 
box  to  pay  her  a  visit.  She  said  to  me  :  "  The  Ambassa- 
dress has  had  a  great  sorrow,  she  has  lost  Nigi."  As  I  at 
once  concluded  it  was  of  a  friend  she  spoke,  I  lost  no  time 
in  going  to  see  her.  I  was  quite  struck  with  the  change 
in  her  countenance ;  she  appeared  so  sad,  I  began  to  think 
it  must  have  been  one  of  her  children  who  had  died.  I 
then  said  how  much  I  felt  for  her  in  her  affliction,  and 
asked  if  it  was  the  eldest  she  had  lost.    At  these  words, 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


165 


notwithstanding  her  grief,  she  burst  out  laughing,  and  told 
me  it  was  her  dog  that  was  dead. 

One  of  my  greatest  pleasures  was  to  walk  on  the  beau- 
tiful hill  of  Pausilippo,  under  which  runs  the  tunnel  of  the 
same  name,  which  is  a  magnificent  work  of  three  miles  in 
length,  and  which  one  can  see  was  built  by  the  Romans. 
On  this  hill  is  situated  the  tomb  of  Virgil.  In  the  even- 
ings I  walked  on  the  sea-shore,  accompanied  by  my  child, 
whose  education  was  my  greatest  care,  and  I  procured  for 
her  the  best  masters.  She  showed  a  decided  talent  for 
languages,  but  preferred  to  all  others  the  German.  Her 
favourite  recreation  was  writing  novels,  and  I  remember 
that  at  the  age  of  nine  years,  when  at  Vienna,  she  wrote  a 
little  romance  remarkable  for  its  style  and  composition. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

I  return  to  Rome — The  Queen  of  Naples — I  return  to  Naples — Fete 
of  the  Madonna  de  I'Arca — Fete  of  the  Pied  de  Grotte — Solfaterra 
— Pozzuoli — Cape  of  Misenum — Portrait  of  the  Queen  of  Naples — 
Character  of  this  Princess — My  Return  to  Rome — Mesdames  de 
France,  Aunts  of  Louis  XVI. 

LL  the  portraits  I  had  undertaken  at  Naples 
being  finished,  I  returned  to  Rome  ;  when 
shortly  afterwards  meeting  the  Queen  of 
Naples,  who  was  returning  from  Vienna,  she  begged 
me  with  the  most  gracious  and  amiable  manner  to  re- 
turn to  Naples  in  order  to  take  her  portrait.  It  was 
impossible  to  refuse,  so  I  speedily  put  myself  again  en 
route. 

What  consoled  me  most  for  all  these  goings  and  comings 
was  the  thought  that  there  still  remained  many  interesting 
and  curious  things  to  see  in  this  beautiful  country.  Sir 
William  Hamilton  took  a  pleasure  in  doing  me  the  hon- 
ours, and  immediately  on  my  arrival,  he  hastened  to  con- 
duct me  to  the  Madonna  de  I'Arca,  which  for  its  original- 
ity, distinguishes  it  above  all  other  village  festivals.  The 
square  in  front  of  the  church  was  covered  with  stalls  con- 
taining sweets,  and  cakes,  and  images  of  the  Virgin,  and 
groups  of  people  in  the  different  costumes  of  their  cantons, 

i66 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


some  richly  embroidered  in  gold.  All  the  crowd  entered 
the  church  to  hear  mass.  Sir  William  Hamilton,  Mrs. 
Hart  and  myself  placed  ourselves  near  a  little  chapel 
where  was  a  picture  of  the  Virgin  as  black  as  ink.  The 
peasantry,  both  male  and  female,  continually  knelt  before 
it  to  solicit  some  favour,  or  return  thanks  for  one.  They 
expressed  their  wishes  in  so  loud  a  voice,  that  we  could 
hear  their  petitions  quite  easily.  First  a  handsome  man^ 
with  bare  throat,  came  to  return  thanks  for  his  child's  res- 
toration to  health.  After  him  came  a  woman  who  scolded 
the  Madonna  furiously,  for  allowing  her  husband  to  ill- 
treat  her.  I  was  suffocating  with  laughter,  and  Sir  William 
had  to  continually  remind  me  to  restrain  my  feelings,  as 
he  assured  me  I  should  be  very  badly  treated  myself  if  I 
did  not.  After  this  woman,  two  young  girls  came,  and 
asked  on  their  knees  that  the  Madonna  would  give  them 
husbands.  This  went  on  for  an  hour  in  the  most  enter- 
taining manner.  As  soon  as  each  had  finished  speaking, 
a  bell  was  rung  in  the  middle  of  the  church,  which  an- 
nounced to  the  suppliants  apparently  that  their  prayer  was 
granted,  for  they  went  away  quite  contented. 

After  the  mass,  all  these  good  people  met  in  the  square 
before  the  church  to  dance  the  tarantella ;  no  one  could 
form  an  idea  of  this  dance,  without  having  seen  it,  no 
dance  resembling  it  in  any  way. 

I  also  went  to  another  fete,  much  more  celebrated  than 
the  one  I  have  just  described  ;  it  was  the  fete  of  the  Pied 
de  Grotte.  According  to  tradition,  it  was  thus  named  by 
a  hermit,  who  was  ordered  by  the  Virgin,  who  appeared 
to  him,  to  build  a  chapel  on  this  spot.    It  is  very  fashion- 


i68 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


able,  as  the  royal  family  visit  it  each  year  in  state  to  say 
their  prayers  ;  the  light  horse  and  royal  regiments  accom- 
panying their  Majesties,  as  also  all  the  nobility.  This 
fete  is  held  in  so  much  veneration  that  the  inhabitants  of 
the  provinces,  belonging  to  the  kingdom  of  Naples,  insist 
in  the  marriage  contracts  of  their  daughters  that  they 
should  be  allowed  to  go  at  least  once  to  the  festival  of  the 
yirgin  of  the  Pied  de  Grotte. 

I  went  accompanied  by  M.  Amaury  Duval,  brother  of 
M.  Alexandre  Duval,  the  dramatic  author,  and  M.  Sacant, 
both  secretaries  of  legation  at  Naples,  to  visit  Solfaterra, 
which  was  then  in  eruption.  It  was  in  the  month  of  June, 
and  the  sun  beat  down  upon  our  heads,  whilst  we  walked 
on  the  burning  cinders.  In  my  life  I  never  suffered  so 
much  from  heat.  To  complete  my  misery,  I  had  my 
daughter  with  me ;  I  covered  her  with  my  dress,  but  this 
was  a  very  slight  protection,  and  I  trembled  at  each  step, 
dreading  to  see  her  fall  insensible  from  the  heat.  She  re- 
peatedly said  : 

"  Mamma,  one  can  die  of  heat,  is  it  not  so  ?  " 

God  knows  the  agony  I  was  in  at  having  brought  her. 
At  last  we  reached  a  little  hut,  in  which  we  could  rest. 
The  heat  had  so  nearly  suffocated  us  that  none  of  us 
could  speak  or  move  for  some  time.  At  the  end  of  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  M.  Duval  remembered  that  he  had  an 
orange  in  his  pocket,  which  made  us  shout  for  joy ;  for 
this  orange  was  like  manna  in  the  desert. 

When  we  were  sufficiently  rested,  we  walked  down  to 
Pozzuoli  where  we  partook  of  an  excellent  dinner  of  fish. 
The  amphitheatre,  though  in  ruins,  is  very  curious  and 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 69 

interesting  ;  after  dinner  we  hired  a  boat  to  take  us  to  the 
promontory  of  Misenum.  There  we  trod  under  our  feet 
the  most  beautiful  pieces  of  the  most  precious  marbles  ; 
for  Misenum  was  entirely  destroyed  by  the  Lombards  and 
Saracens  ;  the  only  thing  that  remains  is  the  grand  sou- 
venir of  Pliny. 

Directly  after  my  arrival  in  Naples,  I  had  commenced 
the  portrait  of  the  Queen  ;  this  time  the  heat  was  so  great, 
that  one  day  Her  Majesty,  who  had  given  me  a  sitting, 
fell  asleep,  and  I  did  the  same.  The  Queen  of  Naples, 
without  being  as  pretty  as  her  youngest  sister  the  Queen 
of  France,  resembled  her  very  much  ;  her  face  was  worn  ; 
but  one  could  see  she  had  been  handsome  ;  her  hands 
and  arms  were  perfection  as  to  colour  and  form.  This 
princess,  who  has  had  so  much  said  and  written  against 
her,  was  in  her  own  circle  of  a  very  affectionate  disposi- 
tion :  her  generosity  was  truly  royal.  The  Marquis  de 
Bombelles,  ambassador  to  Venice  in  1790,  was  the  only 
French  ambassador  who  refused  to  take  the  oath  to  the 
Constitution  ;  the  Queen  having  heard  that  by  this  noble 
and  courageous  conduct  M.  de  Bombelles,  who  had  a 
large  family,  was  reduced  to  the  most  cruel  straits,  wrote 
him  a  letter  in  her  own  hand,  congratulating  him  on  his 
fidelity,  and  praying  him  to  accept  a  pension  of  twelve 
thousand  francs.  Three  of  M.  de  Bombelles'  children 
are  at  the  time  I  write  this  in  brilliant  positions.  The 
eldest,  Comte  Louis  de  Bombelles,  is  Austrian  Minister  to 
Switzerland  ;  the  second,  Comte  Charles,  is  Master  of  the 
Household  to  the  Empress  Marie-Louise  ;  and  the  third, 
Comte  Henri,  is  Austrian  Minister  to  Turin.  Besides  this 
8 


I/O  SOUVENIRS  OF 

generous  action  of  the  Queen  of  Naples,  I  know  many- 
others  which  do  honour  to  her  heart  ;  she  loved  to  minis- 
ter to  those  in  sorrow,  and  was  not  afraid  of  mounting  up 
to  a  fifth  floor  to  give  aid  to  the  unfortunate.  This  was 
the  noble  woman  against  whom,  under  Bonaparte,  were 
exhibited  in  the  streets  of  Paris  the  most  infamous  and 
obscene  engravings.  It  was  necessary  to  calumniate  her, 
they  wanted  her  crown.  One  knows  that  she  was  be- 
trayed by  those  whom  she  had  always  honoured  by  her 
friendship  and  confidence.  The  woman  whom  she  had 
loved  best  corresponded  with  the  conqueror  who  suc- 
ceeded, by  underhand  deaHngs,  in  dethroning  the  sister 
of  Marie  Antoinette,  to  put  in  her  place  Madame  Murat. 

The  Queen  of  Naples  had  a  noble  disposition,  and  was 
very  clever.  She  bore  the  whole  weight  of  the  Govern- 
ment. The  King  would  not  reign  ;  he  remained  nearly 
always  at  Caserta,  occupied  by  manufactures;  the  work- 
women employed,  it  is  said,  composed  his  seraglio. 

The  Queen  having  heard  that  I  v/as  about  to  return  to 
Rome,  sent  for  me,  and  said  :  "  I  am  very  sorry  that  Naples 
is  not  able  to  keep  you  longer." 

Then  she  offered  me  a  small  house  on  the  sea-shore,  if 
I  would  only  be  induced  to  remain ;  but  I  was  longing  to 
see  Rome  again,  and  I  refused  with  all  the  gratitude  so 
much  kindness  inspired.  At  last,  after  having  paid  me 
munificently,  as  I  w^as  taking  farewell  of  her,  she  gave 
me  a  beautiful  box  of  old  lacquered  work  marked  with 
her  initials,  surrounded  by  very  fine  diamonds.  This  gift 
was  worth  ten  thousand  francs ;  but  I  shall  never  part 
with  it. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  171 

Magnificent  though  the  country  was,  which  I  was  on  the 
point  of  leaving,  it  would  not  have  suited  me  to  pass  my 
life  in  it.  There  are  too  many  disagreeables  attached  to 
a  residence  at  Naples  ;  for  first  one  has  to  overcome  the 
terror  inspired  by  the  volcanos,  the  daily  fear  of  earth- 
quakes and  eruptions,  to  say  nothing  of  the  pestilence, 
which  during  the  great  heat  is  always  more  or  less  active 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  city.  All  these  things  are  unpleasant, 
•  one  must  own ;  but  if  they  did  not  exist,  who  would  not 
live  in  such  a  delicious  climate  ? 

Sir  W.  Hamilton,  who  for  twenty  years  was  English 
Ambassador  to  Naples,  thoroughly  knew  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  highest  society  in  this  city.  What  he  told 
me,  I  must  confess  was  not  favourable  to  the  Neapolitan 
nobility,  but  since  then,  no  doubt  everything  is  much 
changed.  According  to  him,  the  Neapolitan  ladies  were 
surprisingly  ignorant ;  they  read  nothing,  though  they  made 
pretence  of  doing  so ;  for  one  day,  calling  on  one  of  them, 
and  seeing  a  book  in  her  hand,  he  saw  on  going  up  to  her 
that  she  held  it  upside  down.  Having  no  sort  of  educa- 
tion, many  amongst  them  do  not  even  ^now  that  there  are 
any  other  countries  besides  Naples,  and  their  only  occu- 
pation is  love,  which  for  them  often  changes  its  object. 

What  I  saw  myself,  was,  that  the  ladies  gesticulate 
much  in  speaking,  that  the  only  exercise  they  take .  is  in 
a  carriage,  never  on  foot.  Every  evening  they  go  to  the 
theatre,  and  receive  visits  in  their  boxes,  which  to  my 
mind  is  not  half  so  agreeable  as  seeing  one's  friends  at 
home. 

The  people  of  the  lower  classes  are  most  noisy  in  theii 


172 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


cries,  and  wild  in  their  gestures.  I  once  watched  a 
funeral  procession  pass  beneath  my  windows,  consisting  of 
the  friends  and  acquaintances  of  the  deceased  ;  the  men 
and  women  groaned  aloud  in  the  most  lamentable  man- 
ner. The  widow  followed,  uttering  the  most  frightful 
screams,  and  wringing  her  hands.  I  was  told  that  this 
was  only  according  to  custom. 

One  ought,  if  possible,  to  witness  the  expression  on  the 
faces  of  the  people  on  the  great  festival  of  St.  Januarius.  * 
The  desire  and  impatience  depicted  on  their  countenances 
are  wonderful.    Then,  as  soon  as  the  miracle  is  accom- 
plished, every  face  is  filled  with  joy  and  delight. 

The  most  singular  specimens  of  the  Neapolitan  popula- 
tion are  the  Lazzaroni.  These  people  have  simplified 
living  to  such  an  extent  that  they  are  always  homeless,  and 
exist  on  the  smallest  amount  of  food  ;  they  lie  about  on  the 
steps  of  the  churches,  under  the  shadows  of  the  walls,  and 
on  the  sea-shore.  They  are  scantily  clothed,  and  their 
children  are  naked  to  the  age  of  twelve.  I  was  at  first 
both  scandalized  and  horrified  to  see  them  in  this  condition 
playing  about  on  the  Chiaja,  where  carriages  are  always 
passing,  for  this  road  is  the  regular  promenade  of  all  the 
society  of  Naples;  but  I  soon  became  accustomed  to  the 
sight. 

The  destitution  of  the  Lazzaroni  does  not  however 
make  them  thieves  ;  they  are  perhaps  too  lazy  for  that, 
besides  having  need  of  so  little  to  enable  them  to  live. 
The  greater  number  of  the  thefts  committed  at  Naples  are 
by  the  hired  servants  of  all  nations  who  find  their  way 
there. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


I  bade  adieu  to  the  beautiful  bay  of  Naples,  the  charm- 
ing hills  of  Pausilippo  and  terrible  Vesuvius  with  regret, 
and  left  for  the  third  time  to  visit  my  dear  Rome,  and  ad- 
mire Raffaelle  again  in  all  his  glory.  When  there,  I  un- 
dertook a  great  many  portraits,  which  to  tell  the  truth  only 
partially  satisfied  me.  I  greatly  regretted  not  having  been 
able  to  employ  my  time,  either  at  Naples  or  Rome,  in 
painting  pictures  of  subjects  which  inspired  me.  I  had 
been  named  a  member  of  all  the  Academies  of  Italy, 
which  encouraged  me  to  merit  such  flattering  distinctions, 
and  I  was  going  to  leave  nothing  in  this  lovely  country 
which  would  add  much  to  my  reputation  as  an  artist. 
These  ideas  were  constantly  on  my  mind — I  have  more 
than  one  sketch  in  my  portfolio  which  could  furnish  the 
proof  ;  but  the  want  of  money,  as  I  had  not  one  penny 
left  of  what  I  earned  in  France,  and  the  natural  weakness 
of  my  character,  made  me  undertake  engagements  to  the 
weary  task  of  portrait  painting.  The  result  is  that  after 
having  devoted  my  youth  to  work,  with  a  constancy  and 
assiduity  very  rare  in  a  woman,  loving  my  art  as  much  as 
my  life,  I  can  scarcely  count  four  works  (portraits  in- 
cluded) with  which  I  am  really  pleased. 

Many  of  the  portraits  which  I  took  in  Rome  during  my 
last  stay  there,  however,  procured  me  some  gratification, 
amongst  others,  that  of  seeing  again  Mesdames  de  France, 
the  aunts  of  Louis  XVI.,  who  at  once  asked  me  to  take 
their  portraits.  I  was  aware  that  a  lady  artist,  who  had 
always  been  inimical  to  me, had  tried  to  injure  me  in  the 
estimation  of  these  princesses  ;  but  the  extreme  kindness 
with  which  they  treated  me,  assured  me  how  little  effect 


174         SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 

these  vile  calumnies  had  produced  on  them.  I  com- 
menced by  taking  the  portrait  of  Madame  Adelaide  ;  and 
afterwards  that  of  Madame  Victoire. 

This  princess  on  giving  me  her  last  sitting  said  : 
"  I  have  just  received  some  news  which  has  filled  me 
with  joy  ;  for  I  learn  that  the  King  has  succeeded  in  leav- 
ing France,  and  I  have  just  written  to  him  putting  the  ad- 
dress only  :  A  sa  Majeste  le  Roi  de  France;  they  will  soon 
know  where  to  find  him,"  she  added  smiling. 

I  returned  home  greatly  delighted,  and  told  the  good 
news  to  my  daughter  and  her  governess,  who  thought  like 
myself  ;  but  in  the  evening  w^  heard  my  servant,  a  very 
morose  man,  singing,  which  he  had  never  done  before ;  we 
also  knew  him  to  be  a  revolutionist.  We  at  once  ex- 
claimed :  "  Some  misfortune  has  happened  to  the  King  ! " 
which  was  confirmed  the  very  next  day,  when  we  heard  of 
his  arrest  at  Varennes,  and  his  return  to  Paris.  The 
greater  number  of  our  servants  were  Jacobite  spies,  which 
explains  how  they  knew  sooner  than  we  did  all  that  passed 
in  France. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


I  ^eave  Rome — The  Cascade  of  Terni — The  Cabmet^of  Fontana  at 
Florence — Sienna — Its  Cathedral — Parma — My  Sybil — Mantua — 
Giulio  Romano. 


LEFT  Rome  the  14th  of  April,  1792.  On  en- 
tering the  carriage  I  wept  bitterly.  I  envied 
the  fate  of  all  those  that  remained  ;  and  on 
the  road,  when  meeting  travellers,  I  could  not  help  crying 
out :  "  How  happy  they  are,  for  they  are  going  to  Rome  !  " 

My  first  resting  place  was  at  Civita-Castellana.  On 
leaving  this  town,  the  road  wound  amongst  great  rocks  and 
precipices,  and  the  country  seemed  very  dismal ;  but  on 
approaching  Narni,  the  scenery  became  very  lovely,  the 
roads  bordered  by  hedges  of  broom  and  honeysuckle. 
We  were  delighted  with  the  famous  cascade  of  Terni.  I 
sketched  the  picturesque  entrance  to  the  grotto,  and  car- 
ried away  some  pieces  of  the  petrified  rock. 

I  remained  one  day  at  Terni,  and  the  following  day  con- 
tinued our  journey  to  Spoleto  where  we  arrived  in  the 
evening ;  it  is  here  I  saw  that  grand  composition  of  Rai- 
faelle  the  "Adoration  of  the  Kings."  This  picture  not 
being  finished,  clearly  shows  the  method  of  the  divine 
master ;  Raffaelle  first  painted  the  heads  and  hands ;  as 

175^ 


1/6 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


for  the  draperies  he  tried  different  tints  before  painting 
them. 

After  Spoleto,  we  passed  Trevi,  Cetri,  and  stopped  at 
FoHgno.  There  I  found  another  painting  of  Raffaelle, 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  original  that  he  ever  made  ; 
it  represents  the  Virgin  in  the  clouds,  holding  the  infant 
Jesus  in  her  arms.  The  infant  is  full  of  life,  and  appears 
in  rehef  ;  the  Virgin  is  a  noble  figure  ;  Saint  John  and  the 
Cardinal  to  the  left  of  the  picture,  are  painted  in  the  same 
style  as  Vandyke,  and  the  remaining  figures  are  truly  life- 
like. 

On  arriving  at  Perugia,  which  is  a  beautiful  and  cele- 
brated town,  I  was  induced  to  go  and  see  a  combat  be- 
tween a  bull  and  dogs.  This  spectacle,  which  took  place 
every  six  years  in  memory  of  a  saint,  is  held  in  a  sort  of 
arena,  in  the  manner  of  the  ancients  ;  I  can  truly  say  it 
gave  me  no  pleasure. 

It  was  with  the  greatest  delight  I  found  myself  again  in 
Florence,  which  I  had  in  reality  only  passed  through  on 
my  way  to  Rome.  I  at  once  commenced  a  copy  of  the 
portrait  of  Raffaelle,  which  I  did  con  amore,  as  the  Italians 
say,  and  which  has  never  quitted  my  studio. 

One  souvenir  of  Florence,  which  I  could  not  get  rid  of 
for  a  long  time,  was  a  visit  I  paid  to  the  celebrated  Fon- 
tana.    This  great  anatomist*  had  endeavoured  to  repre- 

*  The  Abbe  Felix  Fontana,  born  in  1730  at  Pomerol,  in  Tyrol, 
died  at  Florence  in  1803.  Was  Director  of  the  Museum  of  Anatomy 
and  Natural  History  of  Florence.  It  is  owing  to  him  that  the  Museum 
of  Florence  has  been  enriched  by  more  than  1,500  anatomical  pieces, 
perfectly  executed  in  wax. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 7/ 

sent,  even  to  the  smallest  details,  the  interior  of  the  human 
body.  He  showed  me  his  cabinet,  which  was  full  of 
pieces  of  anatomy  made  in  wax  and  flesh  colour.  I  looked 
around  me  with  admiration,  for  it  is  impossible  to  consider 
the  structure  of  the  human  body  without  being  convinced 
of  the  existence  of  a  God.  I  had  experienced  no  dis- 
agreeable impression  till  I  remarked  a  recumbent  woman, 
life-size,  aad  who  one  might  have  supposed  was  alive. 
Fontana  told  me  to  go  close  to  the  figure,  and  then  lifting 
a  sort  of  covering,  he  exhibited  to  my  astonished  gaze  all 
the  intestines  arranged  as  our  own.  This  sight  had  such 
an  effect  on  me,  that  I  almost  fainted,  and  for  several 
days  I  could  think  of  nothing  else. 

From  Florence  I  went  to  Sienna,  and  I  can  never  forget 
the  beautiful  evening  I  passed  on  arriving  in  this  city, 
where  I  stayed  but  a  short  time.  My  custom  has  always 
been,  on  arriving  at  an  inn,  after  ordering  my  supper,  to 
take  a  little  walk,  which  refreshes  me  after  a  day's  travel- 
ling. The  sun  was  just  setting  when  I  started  for  my  first 
walk  in  Sienna.  Near  the  inn  I  perceived  an  open  door 
looking  on  to  a  garden  and  canal ;  I  entered  and  seated 
myself  to  enjoy  the  fresh  air.  There  I  soon  heard  a  nat- 
ural concert,  which  ours  are  far  from  equalling.  Many 
harmonious  sounds  lulled  me  deliciously ;  to  the  left,  it 
was  that  of  the  cascade  which  filled  the  canal ;  then  a  light 
wind  agitated  the  branches  of  some  enormous  poplars 
planted  on  the  banks  of  the  water,  and  a  thousand  birds 
sang  their  adieux  to  the  day.  I  remained  there  more  than 
two  hours,  and  forgot  my  supper,  till  the  servant  of  the  inn 
found  me,  and  dragged  me  from  my  enjoyment. 
8* 


1/8         SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 

The  following  day  I  spent  in  sight-seeing.  The  town  is 
very  fine  and  beautifully  situated  on  a  hill ;  there  are  many 
palaces  and  gothic  houses ;  amongst  others  is  shown 
the  house  of  St.  Catherine  and  that  of  some  other  saint. 
The  Hotel  de  Ville  is  full  of  antique  pictures,  but  what  I 
admire  above  everything  is  the  cathedral.  This  splendid 
church  is  gothic,  very  spacious,  and  covered  with  marble 
within  and  without.  The  roof  is  of  azure  strewn  with 
stars  ;  the  windows  are  all  painted,  and  the  pavement  is 
inlaid  with  subjects  from  the  Old  Testament. 

On  my  arrival  at  Parma,  I  was  immediately  made  a 
Member  of  the  Academy,  to  which  I  gave  a  small  head  I 
had  painted  of  my  daughter.  I  left  Parma  the  ist  of  July, 
1792,  and  went  on  to  Mantua,  which  well  deserved  a  visit. 
Its  magnificent  cathedral  is  the  work  of  Giulio  Romano, 
who,  as  is  well  known,  was  painter,  architect  and  sculptor. 
Giulio  Romano  died  at  Mantua  in  1546,  but  his  name  lives 
still  with  all  its  glory  in  this  city,  where  he  left  the  greater 
number  of  his  masterpieces. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Venice — M.  Denon — The  Marriage  of  the  Doge  with  the  Sea — Ma- 
dame Marini — The  Palaces — Tintoretto — Paccherotti — Cemetery 
— Vicenza — Padua— Verona — A  Conversazione. 

WAS  longing  to  see  Venice,  and  arrived  there 
on  the  eve  of  the  Ascension.  The  aspect  of 
the  city  surprised  as  much  as  charmed  me. 
At  first  sight  one  might  believe  it  was  submerged,  but 
soon  the  superb  palaces,  built  in  the  gothic  style,  the  walls 
of  which  are  washed  by  the  numerous  canals,  enchant  the 
beholder  by  their  wonderful  and  original  effect.  It  was 
long,  however,  before  I  could  accustom  myself  to  the 
quantities  of  black  gondolas,  which  took  the  place  of 
carriages.  I  should  have  preferred  their  being  of  a  gayer 
colour  ;  but  ambassadors  alone  are  permitted  to  have  col- 
oured gondolas. 

M.  Denon,*  whom  I  had  known  in  Paris,  having  heard 
of  my  arrival,  came  at  once  to  see  me.    His  talent  and 


*  The  Baron  Dominique-Vivant  Denon,  born  at  Chalons-sur-Saone 
in  1747,  died  at  Paris  1825,  was  both  artist,  diplom.atist,  philosopher 
and  lawyer.  He  wrote  a  small  biography  of  Madame  Vigee  Le  Brun. 
This  sketch  contains  the  portraits  of  Isabella-Teotochi  Marini  and  of 
Madame  Vige'e  Le  Brun. 

179 


i8o 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


great  knowledge  of  art  made  him  a  most  agreeable  cice- 
rone, and  I  congratulated  myself  much  on  having  met  him 
again.  On  Ascension  Day,  he  took  me  to  the  Grand 
Canal,  where  the  marriage  of  the  Doge  with  the  sea  takes 
place.  The  Doge  and  all  the  Members  of  the  Senate 
were  on  board  their  gilded  galley,  called  the  '  Bucentaur  ; ' 
the  Doge  drew  from  his  finger  a  ring  which  he  threw  into 
the  sea,  and  at  the  same  moment  the  roar  of  a  thousand 
guns  informed  the  city  and  its  environs  of  this  ceremony, 
which  was  concluded  by  a  mass.  A  crowd  of  visitors 
were  present  at  the  spectacle,  amongst  others  Prince  Au- 
gustus of  England,  the  charming  Princesse  Joseph  de 
Monaco,  w^ho  was  on  the  point  of  returning  to  France,  and 
whom  I  saw  at  Venice  for  the  last  time. 

The  following  day  M.  Denon  introduced  me  to  Madame 
Marini,  who  has  since  married  Comte  Albridgi.  She  was 
amiable  and  witty.  She  proposed  to  take  me  that  evening 
to  a  cafe\  which  surprised  me  a  little,  not  knowing  the 
customs  of  the  country  ;  but  I  was  infinitely  more  sur- 
prised when  she  said  to  me  :  "  Have  you  no  friend  to 
accompany  you  ?  "  I  replied  that  I  was  alone  with  my 
daughter  and  her  governess.  "Oh,  well,"  she  said,  "you 
must  at  least  appear  to  have  some  one  ;  I  will  lend  you 
M.  Denon,  who  will  give  you  his  arm,  and  I  will  take  the 
arm  of  someone  else  ;  people  will  believe  that  I  have 
quarrelled  with  him,  as  it  will  be  for  the  whole  time  you 
stay  here  ;  for  you  could  not  go  without  a  friend." 

Strange  as  this  arrangement  was,  it  suited  me  admirably, 
since  it  gave  me  for  a  guide,  one  of  our  most  charming 
Frenchmen  ;  he  was  not  at  all  good  looking,  which,  how- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


I8l 


ever,  had  not  prevented  him  pleasing  a  great  many  pretty- 
women.  At  any  rate  my  friend  conducted  me  first  to  the 
palace  to  see  the  chefs-d'(Euvre  which  Venice  possesses,  and 
which  are  very  numerous,  and  afterwards  the  churches, 
which  are  full  of  the  finest  works  of  Tintoretto,  Paulo  Ve- 
ronese, Bassana  and  Titian.  The  Church  of  San  Marco,  of 
whom  the  lion  is  the  symbol,  is  in  the  gothic  style.  As  for 
the  interior,  it  was  impossible  to  describe  the  riches  which 
it  encloses  of  all  kinds  ;  its  gilded  roofs,  its  columns  of  jas- 
^  per,  alabaster,  verde  antique,  its  pictures  and  bas-reliefs 
which  make  of  San  Marco  a  veritable  treasure-house. 

The  society  which  I  most  frequented  at  Venice  was  that 
of  the  Spanish  Ambassadress,  who  was  most  kind  and 
obliging  to  me.  She  took  me  to  the  theatre  to  witness  the 
debut  of  a  very  beautiful  young  actress  of  only  fifteen 
years  of  age,  whose  singing  and  expression  were  quite  as- 
tonishing. I  also  went  to  the  last  concert  at  which  the 
celebrated  Paccherotti  ever  sang.  I  must  mention  never- 
theless that  the  best  music  I  heard,  whilst  in  Venice,  was 
at  a  church. 

After  Paccherotti's  concert,  we  were  informed  that  in  a 
room  adjoining  the  theatre  there  was  a  famous  improvisa- 
tore  ;  I  had  never  heard  one,  so  we  went,  but  the  man 
appeared  to  me  as  if  possessed  ;  he  ran  about,  yelling  his 
improvisations  with  such  energy  that  he  literally  dripped 
with  perspiration  ;  he  spoke  so  fast  that  he  could  hardly 
be  understood.  He  quite  frightened  us,  he  looked  so 
furious  ;  as  for  myself  I  thought  him  mad,  and  his  talent 
seemed  only  like  a  frightful  pantomime. 

M.  Denon  having  seen  my  Sybil,  begged  me  to  let  him 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


exhibit  it  at  his  house,  in  order  to  show  it  to  his  acquaint- 
ances. It  followed  that  many  persons  went  to  see  this 
picture,  which  had  a  great  success  at  Venice  to  my  infi- 
nite satisfaction.  M.  Denon,  also  entreated  me  to  take  the 
portrait  of  his  friend,  Madame  Marini,  anS  I  had  great 
pleasure  in  doing  so,  for  she  had  a  lovely  speaking  face. 

Before  leaving  Venice,  I  went  with  a  friend  of  M. 
Denon's  to  visit  the  cemetery,  and  we  rowed  there  in  a 
gondola  by  the  light  of  the  moon.  Our  great  aim  was  to 
enter  the  enclosure  in  which  are  the  tombs  of  the  Vene- 
tian families ;  but,  alas !  the  door  was  locked.  We 
managed,  however,  to  enter  through  a  broken  bit  of  wall, 
and  wandered  about  for  a  long  time  in  silence.  We  had 
much  difficulty  in  finding  the  same  exit  again,  and  were 
glad  to  find  ourselves  once  more  among  the  living  ;  we 
hastened  to  rejoin  our  gondola  ajid  returned  to  the  city  at 
three  in  the  morning. 

I  stopped  at  Vicenza,  which  dates  its  foundation  B.C. 
380  years.  Its  beautiful  palaces,  amongst  which  one  re- 
marks that  of  Comte  Chieracati,  were  mostly  built  by  Pal- 
ladio  and  are  of  remarkable  elegance. 

I  went  to  dine  in  one  of  these  palaces.    The  proprietor, 

the  Marquis  ,  paid  me  a  compliment  I  was  far  from 

expecting  :  he  received  me  in  a  gallery,  where  was  a  table 
on  which  lay  a  great  many  engravings  ;  one  only  was 
placed  at  the  top  of  the  others,  with  the  back  upwards — 
curiosity  induced  me  at  once  to  turn  it,  and  I  saw  my  own 
likeness,  which  had  been  engraved  from  the  one  I  had 
given  to  the  Academy  at  Florence. 

Padua  is  also  situated  on  the  Brenta.    This  town  is  very 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 83 

ancient,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  built  by  Antenos, 
the  Trojan.  The  Hotel  de  Ville  is  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful buildings  in  Europe. 

I  passed  a  week  at  Verona,  which  is  a  large  city  with 
spacious  and  well  planned  streets.  Every  evening,  during 
my  stay  there,  I  went  to  the  Conversazione,  this  is  the 
term  applied  to  all  assemblies  in  Italy  ;  there  we  all  met 
in  a  gallery,  the  women  seated  on  each  side,  and  the  men 
walking  in  the  middle.  The  vivacity  and  gesticulations  of 
the  Italians  made  these  reunions  very  amusing  to  an  ob- 
server. 

During  the  eight  days  I  passed  at  Verona,  I  was  obliged 
to  change  my  apartments  twice.  In  the  first  I  had  asked 
if  there  would  be  any  noise.  Not  in  the  least,"  replied 
my  hostess.  But  at  six  o'clock  the  next  morning,  I  heard 
over  my  head  a  most  outrageous  noise  ;  I  asked  w^hat  it 
could  be?  "Madame,"  was  the  reply,  "it  is  nothing 
particular.  It  is  only  the  village  dancing-master  who 
lodges  above  you,  and  every  day  the  young  people  come 
to  take  their  lesson  for  two  hours,  that  is  all."  I  found  it 
sufficient  to  make  me  decide  on  going  elsewhere. 


CHAPTER  X. 


Turin — The  Queen  of  Sardinia — Madame,  wife  of  Louis  XVIII. — 
Frightful  news  from  France — The  Emigres — M.  de  Riviere  joins 
me — Milan — Lago  Maggiore  —  I  go  to  Vienna — Monsieur  and 
Madame  Bistri. 

Y  desire  being  to  return  to  France,  I  went  to 
Turin  with  this  intention.  Mesdames  de 
France,  the  aunts  of  Louis  XVL,  knowing 
that  I  must  pass  through  Turin,  had  been  good  enough  to 
give  me  letters  to  Madame  Clotilde  their  niece.  Queen  of 
Sardinia.  They  wrote  that  they  greatly  wished  her  to 
have  her  portrait  taken  by  me  ;  consequently,  as  soon  as 
I  was  settled,  I  presented  myself  to  her  Majesty.  She 
received  me  kindly,  at  the  same  time  told  me  she  was  sorry 
to  disoblige  her  aunts  ;  but  having  entirely  renounced  the 
world,  she  would  not  be  painted.  What  I  saw  of  her 
myself  entirely  agreed  with  her  words  and  vows  ;  this 
princess  had  had  her  hair  cut  off,  and  wore  a  little  cap, 
which  as  well  as  her  dress  was  of  the  simplest  kind.  Her 
thinness  struck  me  so  much  the  more,  as  I  had  seen  her 
when  very  young  before  her  marriage,  and  then  her  embon- 
point was  so  prodigious  that  in  France  she  went  by  the 
name  of  the  fat  Madame.    Whether  owing  to  a  too  austere 

devotion,  or  to  the  sorrow  caused  by  the  misfortunes  of  her 

184 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


family,  the  change  in  her  appearance  was  so  great  that  she 
was  no  longer  recognisable.  The  King  having  joined  her 
in  the  room  where  she  received  me,  I  was  pained  to  see 
him  also  so  pale  and  thin. 

After  this  interview  I  went  to  visit  Madame,  wife  of 
Louis  XVIII.  Not  only  did  she  receive  me  most  kindly, 
but  she  arranged  many  picturesque  excursions  for  me  in 
the  environs  of  Turin  with  her  lady-in-waiting,  Madame 
de  Gourbillon  and  her  son.  The  country  is  very  fine,  but 
our  first  excursion  was  not  a  success.  We  set  off  in  a 
broiling  sun  to  visit  a  Chartreuse  situated  in  the  moun- 
tains. The  ascent  being  very  steep,  we  were  obliged  to 
make  it  on  foot.  After  having  climbed  for  a  long  time, 
till  we  were  quite  exhausted  with  fatigue,  we  at  last  reached 
the  Chartreuse,  dying  of  heat  and  hunger.  The  table  was 
already  spread  for  the  monks  and  travellers,  which  greatly 
rejoiced  us  ;  for  one  may  imagine  how  impatient  we  were 
for  our  dinner.  As  it  appeared  long  in  coming,  we  thought 
some  extraordinary  preparations  were  being  made  in  our 
honour,  as  Madame  had  recommended  us  to  the  monks  in 
the  letters  she  had  given  us  for  them.  At  last  we  were 
served  with  a  dish  of  frogs  in  white  sauce,  that  I  took  for 
fricasseed  fowl  ;  but  as  soon  as  I  had  tasted  it,  hungry 
though  I  was,  I  could  not  touch  it.  Then  they  produced 
three  other  dishes,  on  which  I  quite  counted  ;  alas  !  they 
too  were  frogs,  so  that  we  were  obliged  to  content  our- 
selves with  dry  bread  and  water,  as  the  monks  neither 
give  nor  drink  wine.  I  longed  for  an  omelet,  but  there 
were  no  eggs  in  the  house. 

On  my  return  from  the  Chartreuse  I  saw  Porporati,  who 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


wished  me  to  go  and  stay  with  him.  He  proposed  to  in- 
habit a  farm  which  he  possessed  six  miles  from  Turin, 
where  he 'had  some  convenient  and  simple  rooms.  I  ac- 
cepted his  offer  with  joy,  as  I  detested  living  in  the  city, 
and  at  once  settled  myself,  with  my  daughter  and  her  gov- 
erness, in  this  charming  retreat.  The  farm  was  situated 
in  an  open  country  surrounded  by  fields,  and  little  streams 
bordered  with  different  kinds  of  trees,  which  formed 
charming  groves.  My  child  enjoyed  as  much  as  myself 
this  quiet  existence  and  pure  air.  We  went  on  Sundays 
to  mass  by  a  charming  road  ;  the  little  church  had  a  pretty 
porch  ;  surrounded  by  this  rural  scenery,  it  seemed  as 
though  we  could  pray  more  earnestly.  In  the  evenings, 
my  greatest  delight  was  to  watch  the  sunset  surrounded 
by  golden  clouds.  Here  I  used  to  dream  that  the  Revo- 
lution would  soon  cease,  and  that  I  should  be  able  to 
return  to  France.  Alas  !  it  was  in  this  peaceful  abode 
that  the  cruellest  blow  struck  me.  The  post  brought  me 
one  evening  a  letter  from  my  friend,  M.  de  Riviere,  my 
sister-in-law's  brother,  giving  me  information  of  the  fright- 
ful occurrences  of  the  loth  of  August,  with  the  most 
shocking  details.  I  was  thunderstruck  ;  the  lovely  sky, 
the  beautiful  country,  seemed  all  at  once  to  be  covered 
with  a  funereal  gloom  ;  in  the  anguish  I  endured,  solitude 
became  insupportable,  and  I  decided  on  returning  at  once 
to  Turin. 

On  entering  the  city,  my  God  !  what  did  I  see  ?  the 
streets,  the  squares,  crowded  with  men  and  women  of  all 
ages,  who,  flying  from  France,  sought  an  asylum  in  Turin. 
They  arrived  by  thousands,  and  it  was  a  piteous  spectacle. 


MADAME  XE  BRUN.  1 8/ 

The  greater  number  were  destitute  of  everything,  for  they 
had  barely  time  to  escape  with  their  lives.  One  of  them, 
the  Duchesse  de  Villeroi,  then  very  aged,  was*  entirely 
dependant  on  her  maid-servant,  who  had  saved  a  small 
sum  of  money,  and  who  allowed  her  half  a  franc  a  day  for 
her  food.  The  King  of  Sardinia  gave  orders  that  these 
unfortunate  people  should  be  lodged  and  fed  ;  but  there 
was  not  room  for  all.  One  may  imagine  how  much  this 
cruel  sight  augmented  my  anxieties  as  to  what  Vv^as  occur- 
ring in  Paris,  more  particularly  as  M,  de  Riviere  did  not 
arrive,  though  he  had  written  to  tell  me  to  expect  him  at 
Turin. 

At  last,  after  much  delay  he  arrived,  but  so  horribly 
changed,  that  I  could  scarcely  recognise  him.  The  terri- 
ble scenes  he  had  witnessed,  had  affected  both  mind  and 
body.  He  told  me  that  at  the  moment  he  was  crossing 
the  bridge  of  Beauvoisin,  the  people  were  massacring  the 
priests  with  the  most  indescribable  fury,  and  that  he  had 
been  obliged  to  remain  at  Chambery  by  an  attack  of  fever, 
caused  by  the  atrocities  he  had  seen. 

I  scarcely  dared  to  ask  news  of  my  mother,  brother,  and 
M.  le  Brun.  Nevertheless,  M.  de  Riviere  reassured  me  a 
little,  by  telling  me  my  mother  had  not  left  Neuilly,  that 
M.  Le  Brun  remained  quietly  in  Paris,  and  that  my  brother 
and  his  wife  were  in  hiding. 

In  consequence  of  the  disastrous  news  I  heard  from 
France,  I  gave  up  the  idea  of  going  there.  I  hired  a  small 
house  in  the  environs  of  Turin.  M.  de  Riviere,  who  lived 
with  me,  derived  much  benefit  from  the  complete  rest  he 
enjoyed.    As  for  myself,  I  went  on  painting.    I  painted  a 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


child  bathing,  after  my  daughter,  and  sold  it  at  once  to 
Prince  Ysoupoff,  who  came  to  visit  me. 

Having  decided  on  returning  to  Milan,  and  not  knowing 
how  to  return  in  some  measure  the  kindness  Porporati  had 
shown  me,  the  idea  occurred  to  me  to  take  his  daughter's 
portrait,  whom  he  adored,  not  without  reason.  He  was  so 
delighted  that  he  had  it  engraved  at  once,  and  gave  me 
several  proofs  of  it. 

Half-way  on  the  road  to  Milan,  I  was  arrested  for  two 
days  as  a  Frenchwoman.  I  wrote  at  once  for  a  "  permis 
de  sejour  "  which  the  Comte  de  Wilsheck,  Austrian  Am- 
bassador obtained  for  me.  I  went  at  once  to  thank  him 
on  my  arrival,  and  was  received  with  much  kindness.  He 
pressed  me  to  go  to  Vienna,  where  my  presence,,  he  as- 
sured me,  would  give  great  satisfaction.  As  the  news  I 
continued  to  receive  from  France  obliged  me  to  postpone 
indefinitely  my  return  there,  I  at  once  decided  on  follow- 
ing his  advice. 

My  reception  at  Milan  was  very  flattering  ;  the  evening 
of  my  arrival  I  was  serenaded  by  the  young  people 
of  the  best  families.  I  was  listening  to  the  music  with 
the  greatest  pleasure,  never  suspecting  that  I  was  the 
object  of  this  ovation,  when  my  hostess  came  in  to  tell 
me,  and  to  hope  that  I  should  remain  some  time  at 
Milan. 

My  first  visit  was  to  the  refectory  of  the  Church  of  the 
Grazia,  to  see  the  celebrated  "  Last  Supper,"  painted  on 
the  wall  by  Leonardo  da  Vinci.  It  is  one  of  the  master- 
pieces of  the  Italian  school  of  painting ;  but  it  is  in  a 
sadly  defaced  condition,  and  I  am  told  that  during  the 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  1 89 

last  wars  of  Bonaparte  in  Italy,  the  soldiers  amused  them- 
selves by  shooting  at  it. 

I  hastened  also  to  see  the  cartoons  of  the  School  of 
Athens,  traced  by  Raffaelle,  and  I  gazed  at  them  a  long 
time  with  delight. 

I  made  many  excursions  in  the  environs  of  Milan,  and 
after  some  days  visited  the  Lago  Maggiore,  whose  great 
extent  is  surrounded  by  mountains,  and  in  the  middle  of 
which  is  situated  the  islands  Isola  Bella,  Isola  Madre,  and 
Isola  Pescatore.  I  stopped  at  the  first,  having  received 
permission  to  do  so  from  Prince  Borromeo,  to  whom  it 
belongs.  The  Madre  is  considered  the  prettiest ;  but  on 
embarking  with  the  intention  of  going  there,  the  lake 
became  so  furious  I  was  compelled  to  give  up  my  pro- 
ject. 

On  my  return  to  Milan,  I  went  to  see  the  cathedral, 
which  is  very  beautiful.  As  a  whole,  Milan  reminded  me 
very  much  of  Paris.  The  opera  house  (La  Scala),  where 
I  heard  excellent  music,  is  immense.  I  went  to  many 
excellent  concerts,  for  Milan  possesses  many  famous  sing- 
ers. At  the  last  I  went  to,  I  was  seated  by  a  beautiful 
Polish  Countess,  Madame  de  Bistri.  In  the  course  of  con- 
versation I  mentioned  my  approaching  departure  for 
Vienna,  and  she  immediately  said  she  and  her  husband 
were  also  going  there,  and  though  they  had  not  intended 
starting  as  soon  as  myself,  they  would  alter  their  day  to 
suit  mine. 

It  would  have  been  impossible  to  find  more  agreeable 
companions.  They  overwhelmed  me  with  kindness,  and 
I  may  say  that  both  husband  and  wife  showed  the  greatest 


190  SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 

goodness  of  heart,  for  they  brought  with  them  two  poor 
^ffiigre  priests,  who  had  just  escaped  from  the  massacre  at 
the  Pont  de  Beauvoisin ;  they  befriended  these  unfortu- 
nate people  the  whole  way  to  Vienna, 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Comtesse  de  Thoun  and  her  Soirees — The  Comtesse  Kinska — 
Casanova — Prince  Kaunitz — Baron  de  Strogonoff — Comte  de  Lan- 
geron — Comtesse  de  Fries — Her  Spectacles — Comtesse  de  Schon- 
feld. 

E  arrived  at  last  at  the  good  city  of  Vienna, 
where  two  years  and  a  half  of  my  life  passed 
in  such  an  agreeable  manner,  that  I  have 
always  felt  obliged  to  the  Comte  Wilsheck  for  having 
induced  me  to  make  the  journey.  As  Monsieur,  Madame 
de  Bistri,  and  myself  did  not  wish  to  separate,  we  estab- 
lished ourselves  in  one  of  the  faubourgs  of  the  city,  and 
there  I  took  the  portrait  of  the  charming  Comtesse  de 
Bistri,  who  was  a  very  handsome  woman. 

Shortly  after  my  arrival,  I  went  to  deliver  in  person  the 
letters  of  introduction  given  me  by  Comte  Wilsheck. 
Amongst  the  number  was  one  for  the  celebrated  Prince  de 
Kaunitz  who  had  been  Minister  under  Maria  Theresa.* 

*  Wenceslas-Antoine,  Count  de  Rietberg  and  Prince  de  Kaunitz, 
exercised  for  such  a  long  period  the  direction  of  governments  and 
courts,  that  he  went  by  the  name  of  Le  Cocker  de  V Europe.  The 
patriotism  of  Prince  Kaunitz  was  such,  that  one  day  having  proposed 
to  Marie  Therese,  a  field-marshal  to  be  President  of  the  Aulic  Council 
of  War,  the  Empress  said  to  him  :  "But  this  man  is  your  declared 
enemy  ;"  the  Prince  replied:  "Madame,  this  man  is  the  friend  of 
the  State,  and  that  is  the  only  thing  I  ought  to  consider." 


192 


SOUVENIRS  OF. 


I  also  called  on  the  Comtesse  de  Thoun.  She  invited  me 
at  once  to  her  soirees,  where  all  the  best  society  in  Vienna 
congregated.  I  met  many  emigres  from  our  poor  France  : 
the  Due  de  Richelieu,  the  Comte  de  Langeron,  the  Com- 
tesse de  Sabran  and  her  son,  the  Polignac  family,  and  later 
on,  the  kind  and  good  Comte  de  Vaudreuil,  whom  I  was 
delighted  to  meet  again. 

I  have  never  seen  assembled  in  any  drawing-room  a 
greater  number  of  pretty  women  than  I  met  at  Madame 
de  Thoun's.  The  greater  number  of  these  ladies  brought 
their  work,  and  sat  round  a  large  table.  Sometimes  I  was 
consulted  as  to  the  shading  of  their  silks ;  but  as  what  I 
detest  more  than  anything  else  is  to  look  at  bright  colours 
by  lamp  or  candle  light,  I  very  often  gave  my  advice 
without  looking.  As  a  rule,  I  have  always  taken  care 
of  my  eyes,  and  I  have  found  the  benefit  of  it,  for  even 
now  I  paint  without  being  obliged  to  wear  specta- 
cles. 

Amongst  these  pretty  women,  there  were  three  quite 
remarkable  for  their  beauty  :  the  Princesse  Linoska,  wife 
of  the  Russian  Ambassador,  Count  Rasomoffski,  and  the 
charming  Comtesse  Kinska,  nee  Comtesse  Diedrochstein. 
This  last  was  endowed  with  every  charm  ;  her  face,  her 
figure  were  perfection  ;  I  was  much  surprised  when  I  heard 
her  history,  which  was  quite  a  romance.  The  parents  on 
both  sides  had  agreed  to  marry  their  children  without  their 
knowing  anything  about  the  arrangement.  The  Count 
lived  somewhere  in  Germany,  and  only  arrived  in  time  for 
the  celebration  of  the  marriage.  Immediately  after  mass, 
he  said  to  his  young  and  charming  wife  ;  "  Madame  we 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


have  obeyed  our  parents  ;  I  leave  you  with  regret ;  but  I 
cannot  conceal  from  you  that  for  a  long  time  I  have  been 
attached  to  a  woman  without  whom  I  cannot  live,  and  I 
am  going  to  rejoin  her."  The  post  carriage  was  at  the 
church  door  ;  this  adieu  made,  the  Count  entered  it  and 
drove  off  to  join  his  Dulcinea. 

The  Comtesse  Kinska  was  therefore  neither  girl,  wife  nor 
widow,  and  this  circumstance  must  have  astonished  every 
one  who  beheld  her  ;  for  I  never  saw  any  woman  as  lovely. 
Joined  to  her  great  beauty  was  a  most  amiable  disposition, 
and  much  kindness  of  heart  ;  one  day  when  she  gave  me 
a  sitting,  my  daughter's  governess  entered  the  room  with 
such  a  bright  and  happy  look,  that  I  asked  her  what  she 
had  heard  to  make  her  so.  "  I  have  just  heard  from  my 
husband,"  she  replied,  "  that  I  have  been  placed  on  the 
list  of  emigres.  I  lose  eight  hundred  francs  a  year  by  it  : 
but  I  am  quite  content,  as  at  last  I  am  put  on  the  list  of 
honest  people."  The  Countess  and  myself  were  greatly 
touched  by  such  honourable  disinterestedness.  A  few 
minutes  afterwards,  Madame  Kinska  told  me  that  the 
dress  I  wore  for  painting  in  seemed  so  comfortable,  that 
she  would  like  to  have  one  made  like  it,  for  she  knew  my 
child's  governess  made  these  blouses  for  me.  I  offered  to 
lend  her  one.  "  No,"  she  replied,  "  I  should  like  you  to 
have  it  made  for  me  by  Madame  Charot,  your  governess  ; 
I  will  send  her  the  material."  A  few  days  afterwards,  I 
sent  her  the  dress  made  as  she  requested.  As  soon  as 
our  sitting  was  over,  the  Countess  ran  to  Madame  Charot's 
room  and  gave  her  ten  louis  (two  hundred  francs)  ;  it  was 
declined  :  but  the  amiable  Countess  put  it  on  the  mantel- 
9 


194  SOUVENIRS  OF 

piece,  and  fled  like  a  bird,  very  happy  to  have  contributed 
a  quarter  of  the  lost  pension  to  this  good  woman. 

It  was  always  my  custom,  on  arriving  in  a  town,  to  make 
my  first  visits  to  the  artists,  and  I  did  not  delay  in  calling 
on  Casanova,  a  celebrated  painter  of  battle  pieces.  He 
was  then  about  sixty  years  old,  but  was  quite  strong  and 
robust,  though  he  wore  two  or  three  pairs  of  spectacles, 
one  over  the  other.  He  was  then  working  at  several  grand 
pictures,  representing  the  noble  deeds  of  Prince  de  Nassau. 
Casanova  was  full  of  spirit  and  originality.  He  was  a 
great  gossip,  and  he  used  to  amuse  us  extremely  at  the 
dinners  given  by  Prince  Kaunitz,  by  stories  which  were 
sometimes  pure  fictions  but  very  droll  and  comical.  One 
day,  dining  at  the  same  hous'e,  the  conversation  turned  on 
painting,  and  Rubens  in  particular,  when  some  one, 
alluding  to  his  immense  talent,  said,  that  his  general 
knowledge,  which  was  also  prodigious,  had  caused  him  to 
be  named  an  ambassador.  At  these  words,  an  old  German 
Baroness  interrupted  the  speaker,  and  said  :  "  What  !  a 
painter,  ambassador  !  no  doubt  it  was  an  ambassador  who 
amused  himself  by  painting."  "  No,  Madame,"  replied 
Casanova,  "  it  was  a  painter  who  amused  himself  by  being 
an  ambassador." 

Casanova  had  made  a  large  fortune  ;  but  his  extrava- 
gance was  such  that  he  dissipated  it  all. 

On  leaving  him,  I  called  on  Prince  Kaunitz  whom  I 
greatly  desired  to  know.  This  great  minister  was  then 
about  eighty-three  years  of  age  at  the  least  ;  he  was  very 
tall,  very  thin,  and  held  himself  very  erect.  He  received 
me  with  the  greatest  kindness,  and  asked  me  to  dine  with 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  I95 

him  the  following  day.  As  we  sat  down  to  table  at  seven 
o'clock,  and  I  was  in  the  habit  of  dining  by  myself  at  half- 
past  two,  this  invitation  and  those  which  followed,  whilst 
very  flattering,  did  not  altogether  please  me.  I  did  not 
like  dining  so  late,  or  dining  with  so  many  people,  for  his 
table,  composed  principally  of  strangers,  was  always  laid 
for  thirty  and  sometimes  more.  From  that  day  I  always 
dined  at  home  first,  and  was  obliged  to  conceal  this  as  much 
as  possible,  in  taking  half  an  hour  to  eat  a  boiled  egg  ; 
but  this  little  trick  which  the  Prince  speedily  perceived, 
annoyed  him,  and  caused  us  to  have  many  little  quarrels  ; 
notwithstanding,  he  had  a  sincere  friendship  for  me,  for 
which  I  feel  deeply  grateful.  He  always  called  me  his 
good  friend^  and  he  insisted  that  my  "  Sybil "  should  remain 
on  view  for  a  fortnight  in  his  salon,  during  which  he  did 
the  honours  of  this  picture  to  the  city  and  the  court,  with 
an  amiability  that  was  quite  affectionate  for  me. 

Notwithstanding  his  great  age.  Prince  Kaunitz  was  in 
full  possession  of  all  his  faculties.  His  taste,  his  exquisite 
judgment,  and  good  sense  astonished  everyone.  His  only 
weakness  was  to  imagine  that  he  rode  on  horseback  better 
than  anyone.  He  certainly  acquitted  himself  wonderfully. 
He  rode  like  a  Frenchman  ;  his  costume  an^  figure  re- 
minded me  of  the  cavaliers  of  the  time  of  Louis  XIV.,  such 
as- we  see  them  represented  in  the  beautiful  pictures  of 
Wouvermans. 

Prince  Kaunitz  was  held  in  the  highest  esteem  at 
Vienna  ;  the  glory  he  had  acquired  when  minister,  still  re- 
mained with  him.  The  first  day  of  the  year,  and  that  of 
his  fete,  an  immense  crowd  came  to  his  house  to  compli- 


196 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


ment  him  ;  one  might  have  thought  him  an  emperor  on 
these  two  days,  therefore  I  was  much  surprised  at  the  in- 
difference exhibited  by  the  Viennese  at  the  time  of  his 
death.    I  was  still  at  Vienna,  when  this  event  occurred. 

Prince  Kaunitz  died  after  a  very  short  illness,  and  peo- 
ple hardly  seemed  to  notice  the  disappearance  of  this 
great  man.  As  for  myself,  I  was  very  much  grieved.  I 
remember  going  to  see  an  exhibition  of  figures  in  wax 
shortly  after  his  death  ;  I  was  quite  shocked  at  the  sight 
of  that  of  the  Prince  lying  down,  dressed  in  the  clothes  he 
usually  wore,  in  fact  absolutely  such  as  I  had  often  seen 
him  in.  This  unexpected  sight  made  a  sad  impression  on 
me,  for  I  know  nothing  more  painful  than  to  see  an  exact 
representation  of  one  whom  one  has  loved,  deprived  of  ac- 
tivity and  life. 

Shortly  after  my  arrival  in  Vienna,  I  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  the  Baron  and  Baroness  Strogonoff,  who  both 
asked  me  to  take  their  portraits.  The  Baroness  was  much 
liked  for  her  sweetness  and  extreme  benevolence  ;  as  for 
her  husband,  he  possessed  the  happiest  art  of  animating 
society  ;  his  replies  were  the  delight  of  Vienna,  as  also  his 
fetes  and  private  theatricals,  to  which  everyone  strove  to 
be  invited.  I  have  known  very  few  men  as  amiable  and 
gay  as  Baron  Strogonoff.  When  the  desire  for  a  good 
laugh  and  to  amuse  himself  took  him,  he  would  invent  all 
the  foUies  imaginable.  One  day,  amongst  others,  knowing 
that  many  of  his  acquaintances  and  mine  were  going  to 
see  the  exhibition  of  figures  in  wax,  he  excused  himself 
under  some  pretext  of  being  unable  to  accompany  us,  and 
going  there  before  we  did,  he  craftily  placed  himself  be- 


MADAME  LE  BR^ 


197 


hind  a  pedestal,  in  such  a  manner  as  only  to  show  his 
head.  Going  through  the  portrait  gallery,  we  passed  be- 
fore him,  but  he  had  fixed  his  eyes  and  features  so  im- 
moveably  that  none  of  us  recognised  him.  After  having 
visited  the  other  rooms,  we  passed  him  a  second  time 
without  recognition  ;  but,  at  last  impatient  at  our  want  of 
notice,  he  moved  and  spoke.  We  were  all  frightened  and 
much  surprised  at  not  having  found  him  out, 

I  have  rarely  seen  acting  better  done  than  by  amateurs 
at  the  Baroness  de  Strogonoff's.  The  first  roles  were 
filled  by  Comte  de  Langeron,  who  played  the  lovers  with 
the  greatest  grace  and  ease,  and  who  had  a  real  passion 
for  acting;  M.  de  Riviere  played  the  comic  parts  in  an 
astonishing  manner.  This  amiable  man  was  very  talented  ; 
Doyen,  the  painter,  said  of  M.  de  Riviere  that  he  was  an 
ornament  to  society.  He  painted  very  well ;  he  sang  and 
played  on  the  violin  and  piano  ;  he  had  perfect  lact  and 
an  excellent  heart.  M.  de  Riviere  was  small,  thin,  and 
even  at  the  age  of  sixty,  his  figure  and  appearance  was 
that  of  a  man  of  thirty. 

As  for  M.  de  Langeron,  he  was  both  charming  and 
witty.  This  brave  and  amiable  Frenchman,  died  (owing 
to  our  revolution)  with  the  Russians,  as  Governor  of 
Odessa.* 

*  It  is  painful  to  be  compelled  to  add  that  M.  de  Langeron  be- 
came the  enemy  of  his  countiy.  In  1814,  General  Langeron,  who 
served  under  Count  Blucher,  fought  with  him  against  the  French  at 
Soissons,  Laon,  Vitry,  and  marched  on  to  Paris.  In  18 15  he  fought 
against  the  French  again,  and  contributed  to  the  disaster  at  Waterloo. 
Count  de  Langeron,  who  was  born  in  Paris,  1763,  died  at  Odessa,  183T. 


198  SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 

The  Chevalier  de  Boufflers,  the  Vicomte  de  Segur,  and 
Comte  Louis  de  Narbonne,  were  models  of  grace  and 
wit.  I  never  heard  a  more  courtier-like  reply  than  that 
made  by  the  last  named  to  the  Emperor  Bonaparte,  who, 
speaking  of  Madame  de  Narbonne,  said  to  him  :  "  Your 
mother  does  not  like  me."  "  I  know,  it  Sire,"  replied  the 
Count,  "  she  has  not  yet  gone  further  than  admiration." 

The  Baron  de  Strogonoff's  was  not  the  only  house 
where  theatricals  were  performed  in  Vienna.  The  Com- 
tesse  de  Fries,  widow  of  the  famous  banker  of  that  name, 
had  a  very  pretty  theatre,  and  I  frequently  witnessed  very 
good  acting  there  ;  her  daughter.  Mademoiselle  de  Fries, 
had  a  beautiful  voice,  and  sang  delightfully.  Her  sister, 
the  Comtesse  de  Schonfeld,  was  very  pretty,  and  gave  her- 
self great  airs,  to  such  a  degree,  that  one  day  when  her 
mother  had  given  a  part  to  act  in  a  certain  piece  to  her 
nephew,  who  had  a  very  common-place  appearance  ;  and 
as  I  was  seated  near  Madame  de  Schonfeld,  I  asked  her 
who  the  gentleman  was,  she  replied  confusedly  :  "  He  is 
my  mother's  nephew,"  not  wishing  to  say,  he  is  my 
cousin. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Portraits  I  took  in  Vienna — Royal  Museum — Schonbrunn — The 
Prater — Balls — Prince  Esterhazy — Princesse  Marechale  Lubomirska 
— Comtesse  de  Rombec — Death  of  Louis  XVI.  and  Marie-Antoinette 
— Death  of  Madame  de  Polignac. 


ONSIEUR  and  Madame  Bistri  being  obliged 
to  return  to  Poland,  I  engaged  apartments  in 
Vienna  itself ;  in  which  city  it  is  said  there 
are  three  causes  of  death :  the  wind,  the  dust,  and  the 
waltz. 

As  soon  as  I  was  settled,  I  made  many  portraits, 
amongst  others,  the  daughter  of  the  Spanish  Ambassador, 
Mademoiselle  de  Kagnenek,  who  was  sixteen  and  very 
pretty,  also  those  of  the  Baron  and  Baroness  de  Strogo- 
noff.  My  Sybil,  which  crowds  came  to  my  house  to  see, 
contributed  not  a  little  in  deciding  many  people  to  ask  me 
to  paint  them.  It  would  be  difficult  for  me  to  express  all 
the  gratitude  I  felt  for  the  kindness  I  received  in  this  city. 
Not  only  the  Viennese  showed  affection  for  myself  per- 
sonally, but  they  also  proved  it  by  hanging  my  pictures  in 
the  best  positions.  I  remember,  for  example,  that  Prince 
Paar,  to  whom  I  had  sent  the  large  portrait  I  had  made 
of  his  sister  the  kind  and  good  Comtesse  Dubuguoi,  in- 

199 


200 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


vited  me  to  go  and  see  the  picture  at  his  house.  I  found 
the  painting  placed  in  the  salo7i,  and  effectively  draped  in 
green,  which  threw  out  the  colours,  and  showed  it  off  to 
great  advantage. 

One  circumstance  greatly  astonished  me,  and  that  was 
seeing  ladies  take  their  work  and  knitting  to  the  theatre  ; 
amongst  others  the  beautiful  Comtesse  Kinska  would  knit 
coarse  socks  in  her  loge  j  I  thought  this  very  strange,  but 
when  I  heard  these  socks  were  for  the  poor,  I  changed 
my  opinion,  and  it  gave  me  pleasure  to  see  so  many  young 
people  working  so  industriously. 

Vienna,  whose  extent  is  very  considerable,  as  it  com- 
prises no  less  than  thirty-two  faubourgs,  is  full  of  fine 
palaces.  The  Imperial  Museum  contains  pictures  of  the 
best  masters.  The  Prater  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  finest' 
promenades  in  the  world.  The  park  of  Schonbrunn  is 
also  much  frequented,  especially  on  Sundays.  One  fre- 
quently meets  young  couples  walking  together  there,  and 
their  position  is  understood  and  respected,  for  no  one  no- 
tices them  ;  the  promenades  at  Schonbrunn  being  nearly 
always  the  prelude  to  marriage. 

I  went  to  several  balls,  particularly  to  those  given  by 
the  Russian  Ambassador,  Comte  Rasowmoffski,  which 
may  truly  be  called  charming  fetes.  They  danced  the 
waltz  there  with  so  much  energy,  that  I  could  not  imagine 
all  these  persons  did  not  fall  from  sheer  giddiness  ;  but 
both  men  and  women  are  so  accustomed  to  this  violent 
exercise,  that  they  never  rest  as  long  as  the  ball  continues. 
They  also  frequently  danced  the  Polonaise,  which  is  much 
less  fatiguing,  for  this  dance  is  a  simple  promenade.  It 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


201 


suits  pretty  women  wonderfully,  as  it  gives  time  for  peo- 
ple to  admire  their  face  and  figure. 

I  "also  went  to  a  court  ball.  The  Emperor  Francis  II. 
had  married  as  his  second  wife  Maria-Theresa  of  the  Two 
Sicilies,  daughter  of  the  Queen  of  Naples.  I  had  painted 
this  princess  in  1792  ;  but  I  found  her  so  changed,  that 
on  seeing  her  at  this  ball,  I  could  scarcely  recognise  her. 
Her  nose  was  longer,  her  cheeks  fallen  in,  so  that  she  re- 
minded me  of  her  father.  I  regretted  that  she  did  not 
retain  any  likeness  of  her  mother,  who  reminded  me  of 
our  charming  Queen  of  France. 

New  Year's  day  is  very  brilliant  at  Vienna,  one  meets 
then  so  many  Hungarians  in  their  elegant  costume,  which 
suits  their  tall  and  well  made  figures.  One  of  the  most 
remarkable  was  the  Prince  Esterhazy  ;  I  saw  him  pass, 
mounted  on  a  richly  caparisoned  horse,  covered  with  a 
horse-cloth  sewn  with  diamonds.  .  His  dress  was  of  great 
magnificence  and  sparkled  in  the  sun. 

The  Polish  society  in  Vienna  was  very  agreeable,  the 
ladies  nearly  all  being  amiable  and  pretty ;  and  I  painted 
some  of  the  most  beautiful.  They  generally  frequented  the 
salon  of  the  Princesse  Lubomirska,  whom  I  had  known  in 
Paris,  and  often  visited  at  Vienna.  She  entertained  most 
brilliantly,  giving  very  fine  concerts,  and  charming  balls. 
I  also  met  a  great  reunion  of  Poles  at  the  house  of  the 
Princesse  Czartoriska.  Her  husband  was  most  kind,  and 
their  son  has  since  been  made  Minister  at  St.  Petersburg. 

I  was  much  pleased  at  meeting  again  Madame  the  Com- 
tesse  de  Brionne,  Princess  of  Lorraine.  She  had  always 
been  kind  to  me  from  the  time  I  was  a  child,  and  I  often 


202 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


supped  with  her,  where  I  frequently  met  the  valiant 
Prince  de  Nassau,  so  terrible  in  battle,  so  gentle  and 
modest  in  a  drawing-room, 

I  was  a  constant  visitor  at  the  house  of  the  Comtesse 
de  Rombec,  sister  of  Comte  Cobentzel.  Madame  de 
Rombec  was  the  best  of  women  !  she  was  witty,  with  a 
most  happy  disposition  ;  she  was  very  charitable,  it  being 
at  her  house  that  collections  were  made  and  lotteries  got 
up  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor.  I  have  often  remarked 
that  collections  made  in  a  drawing-room  are  the  most 
efficacious  means  of  assisting  them.  I  remember  when  at 
Rome  I  often  passed  an  evening  with  good  kind  Lady 
Clifford,  whom  I  saw  one  evening  go  round  purse  in  hand 
and  make  the  tour  of  the  company,  which  was  numerous. 
When  she  came  to  me,  seeing  I  had  prepared  my  offer- 
ing :  "  No,"  she  said,  "  I  collect  for  one  of  my  country- 
men whom  I  do  not  know,  but  who  has  lost  at  play  all  he 
possessed  ;  it  is  we  who  must  help  him."  I  thought  this 
a  truly  English  proceeding. 

The  Comtesse  de  Rombec  collected  in  her  drawing- 
room  the  most  distinguished  society  of  Vienna.  It  was  at 
her  house  I  met  Prince  Metternich  and  his  son,  who  since 
then  has  been  made  Prime  Minister.  I  also  met  again 
the  amiable  Prince  de  Ligne  ;  he  related  the  charming 
journey  he  had  made  in  the  Crimea  with  the  Empress 
Catherine  II.,  which  gave  me  a  great  desire  to  see  this 
grand  sovereign.  I  renewed  my  acquaintance  with  the 
charming  Duchesse  de  Quiche  ;  her  mother,  Madame  la 
Duchesse  de  Polignac,  inhabited  a  country-house  near 
Vienna.    It  was  there  she  heard  of  the  death  of  Louis 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  20$ 

XVI.,  which  affected  her  to  such  an  extent  that  her 
health  gave  way  ;  but  when  she  heard  of  the  frightful 
news  of  the  Queen's  death,  her  sorrow  changed  her  so 
much  that  her  charming  face  became  quite  altered,  and 
one  could  see  death  written  there.  She  died  shortly 
afterwards,  leaving  her  family  and  many  friends  inconsol- 
able for  her  loss. 

For  my  own  part,  I  learnt  nothing  from  the  newspapers, 
for  I  had  ceased  to  read  them  since  the  day  I  opened  one 
at  Madame  de  Rombec's,  where  I  found  the  names  of 
nine  persons  of  my  acquaintance  who  had  been  guillo- 
tined. It  was  from  my  brother  that  I  heard  of  the  horri- 
ble event,  without  adding  any  particulars.  He  merely 
said  that  Louis  XVI.  and  Marie  Antoinette  died  on  the 
scaffold  !  I  have  not  ventured  to  ask  the  least  question 
about  all  that  accompanied  or  preceded  this  frightful  as- 
sassination, so  that  to  this  day  I  know  nothing  except  one 
incident  which  I  will  mention  later  on. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


Huitzing — Princesse  Lichtenstein — I  decMe  on  going  to  Russia — 

Prince  de  Ligne  lends  me  the  Convent  of  Caltemberg  as  a  resi- 
dence. 

HEN  spring  had  set  in,  I  hired  a  small  house  in 
a  village  near  Vienna,  and  settled  myself 
there  for  a  short  time.  The  village  of  Huit- 
zing was  close  to  the  park  of  Schonbrunn.  The  Polignac 
family  lived  there  in  a  large  square  house  like  the  one  at 
Nimes. 

I  took  with  me  to  Huitzing  the  large  portrait  I  was  then 
painting  of  the  Princesse  de  Lichtenstein,  in  order  to 
finish  it.  This  young  princess  had  a  beautiful  figure,  her 
pretty  face  had  a  sweet  and  celestial  expression  which 
gave  me  the  idea  of  representing  her  as  Iris.  She  was 
painted  full  length,  flying  through  the  air.  Her  scarf  was 
of  the  colours  of  the  rainbow,  and  floated  carelessly 
around  her.  As  may  be  imagined,  I  painted  her  feet 
naked  ;  but  when  the  picture  was  placed  in  the  gallery  of 
the  Prince,  her  husband,  the  heads  of  the  family  were 
greatly  scandalised  to  perceive  that  the  Princess  was  ex- 
hibited without  shoes,  and  the  Prince  told  me  he  had 
placed  under  the  portrait  a  pretty  little  pair  of  shoes, 

204 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  20$. 

which  he  told  his  grandparents  had  just  slipped  off  and 
fallen  to  the  ground. 

The  borders  of  the  Danube  are  superb,  and  offered  me 
the  means  of  satisfying  my  taste  for  solitary  and  pictur- 
esque promenades.  One  evening,  walking  by  the  river's 
side,  I  saw  a  man  in  a  small  boat  aim  with  his  gun  at  a 
crow,  which  having  killed  he  placed  in  his  boat  ;  but  at 
the  same  moment  an  enormous  number  of  crows  flew 
down  upon  him.  The  man  was  terrified  and  ran  his  boat 
on  shore,  taking  refuge  in  a  hut  on  the  banks,  which  I 
thought  was  a  very  prudent  measure,  for  I  had  not  the 
least  doubt  but  that  the  crows,  in  revenge  for  the  death 
.  of  their  comrade,  would  have  killed  him.  The  man  hav- 
ing fled,  the  poor  birds  approached  the  dead  crow,  and 
carried  it  away  into  the  branches  of  some  tree  close  by. 
Then  commenced  a  series  of  cries  and  croaks  of  the  most 
dismal  character.  I  remained  at  the  spot  two  or  three 
hours,  but  their  fury  had  not  abated.  This  scene,  which 
greatly  surprised  me,  threw  me  into  a  reverie  on  the 
human  race,  in  which  I  must  own  all  the  advantage  was 
on  the  side  of  the  crows. 

I  was  as  happy  at  Vienna  as  it  was  possible  to  be  far 
from  one's  people  and  country.  In  winter,  the  city 
offered  me  one  of  the  most  polished  and  brilliant  socie- 
ties in  Europe,  and  when  fine  weather  returned,  I  went 
with  delight  to  the  charms  of  my  Httle  country  retreat.  I 
had,  therefore,  no  idea  of  leaving  Austria  before  it  was 
prudent  and  safe  to  return  to  France,  when  the  Russian 
Ambassador  and  many  of  my  countrymen  pressed  me  to 
go  to  St.  Petersburg,  where  I  was  assured  the  Empress 


206  SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  L^:  BRUN. 

would  view  my  arrival  with  pleasure.  All  the  Prince  de 
Ligne  had  told  me  of  Catherine  II.  inspired  me  with  a 
great  desire  to  see  this  Sovereign.  I  also  thought  that  a 
short  stay  in  Russia  would  complete  the  fortune  I  had 
promised  to  make  before  returning  to  Paris  ;  I  decided, 
therefore,  on  making  the  journey. 

I  was  engaged  in  making  preparations  for  leaving 
Vienna,  when  the  Prince  de  Ligne  came  to  see  me.  He 
advised  me  to  wait  the  melting  of  the  snow,  and,  to  make 
sure  of  my  remaining^  offered  me  a  residence  on  Mount 
Caltemberg,  an  old  convent  which  had  been  given  to  him 
by  the  Emperor  Joseph  II.  Knowing  my  predilection  for 
high  places,  he  tempted  me  by  saying  that  the  Caltem- 
berg was  the  loftiest  mountain  in  the  environs  of  Vienna, 
and  I  could  not  resist  the  desire  to  stay  there  for  a  short 
period. 

I  went  there,  accompanied  by  my  daughter,  her  gover- 
ness, and  M.  de  Riviere ;  the  road  was  horrible  and  rocky 
which  led  to  the  convent.  The  guardian  and  his  wife,  to 
whom  the  Prince  had  recommended  us,  were  most  em- 
presses  in  their  attentions.  They  at  once  prepared  our 
rooms,  which  were  only  small  cells.  Whilst  these  arrange- 
ments were  being  made,  I  went  to  rest  on  a  bench  out- 
side, where  I  had  a  magnificent  view.  Beneath  me  wound 
the  Danube,  intersected  by  small  islands,  covered  with  the 
most  beautiful  vegetation.  I  remained  three  weeks  in  this 
beautiful  place.  M.  de  Riviere,  more  of  a  worldling  than 
myself,  frequently  went  down  to  Vienna  ;  but  for  all  this 
we  frequently  made  lovely  promenades  together. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


I  leave  Vienna — Prague — The  Churches— Buda — Dresden — Prome- 
nades— The  Gallery — Raffaelle — Fortress  of  Konigsberg — Berlin — 
Reinsberg — Prince  Henry  of  Prussia. 

FTER  having  remained  in  Vienna  for  two 
years  and  a  half,  I  left  it  on  Sunday  the  19th 
of  April,  1795,  on  my  way  to  Prague,  where  I 
arrived  the  23rd  of  April,  by  a  lovely  road. 

What  first  attracted  my  attention  on  entering  the  capi- 
tal of  Bohemia,  was  the  bridge  across  the  Elbe.  The 
bridge  is  very  fine  and  has  twenty-four  arches. 

I  commenced  by  visiting  the  churches.  In  that  of  St. 
Thomas,  I  greatly  admired  a  fine  picture  of  Rubens,  of 
the  Martyrdom  of  St.  Thomas ;  then  one  of  Caravaggio, 
which  though  very  dark,  has  fine  details. 

The  cathedral  is  a  noble  structure,  and  encloses  the 
tombs  of  three  emperors,  also  a  chapel  of  silver,  in  which 
lie  the  remains  of  Saint  Nepomicene  ;  besides  this,  the 
iron  coat  of  mail  belonging  to  the  Saint  is  held  as  a  pre- 
cious relic  in  this  church,  and  crowds  go  there  to  kiss  it. 

I  only  remained  one  day  at  Prague  ;  desiring  to  reach 
Dresden  as  quickly  as  possible.  On  our  way  we"  passed 
through  Buda,  which,  though  beautifully  situated,  is  al- 
most a  deserted  town. 

207 


208 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


Dresden  is  a  pretty  town,  well  built,  but  at  this  epoch 
was  very  badly  paved.  The  environs  of  Dresden  are 
chartning,  principally  the  Plaone,  where  there  is  a  splen- 
did view  ;  but  unfortunately  all  these  fine  places  are 
infected  by  the  odour  of  tobacco.  It  is  there,  that  princi- 
pally on  Sundays,  the  bourgeois  make  their  parties  of 
pleasure,  taking  their  dinner,  and  as  soon  as  their  repast 
is  finished  they  begin  to  smoke,  which  spoils,  to  my  mind, 
these  delicious  promenades. 

The  day  after  my  arrival  I  went  to  visit  the  magnifi- 
cent gallery  of  pictures,  which  having  been  so  often  de- 
scribed, I  will  only  mention  that  I  was  lost  in  admiration 
of  the  masterpieces  of  painting  it  contains.  The  Elector 
did  me  the  honour  to  ask  me  to  exhibit  my  "  Sybil  "  in 
this  gallery,  and  for  a  week  it  was  visited  by  the  whole 
Court.  I  went  on  the  first  day,  in  order  to  show  the 
Elector  how  touched  and  gratified  I  felt  for  this  high 
favour,  which  I  was  far  from  expecting  or  meriting. 

We  visited  the  famous  fortress  of  Konigsberg,  and  my 
daughter  formed  one  of  the  party.  There  is  such  a  deep 
well  there,  that  on  throwing  down  a  stone  it  takes  thirty 
seconds  to  reach  the  bottom.  The  view  from  this  fortress 
is  of  immense  extent. 

From  Dresden  I  went  straight  on  to  Berlin,  where  I  re- 
mained only  five  days,  for  my  intention  was  to  remain 
there  a  short  time  on  my  way  back  from  Russia,  in  order 
to  see -the  charming  Queen  of  Prussia. 

I  left  Berlin  on  the  28th  of  May,  1795,  Reinsberg, 
situated  about  sixty  miles  from  the  capital,  and  the  resi- 
de^ice  of  Prince  Henri.    I  found  there,  to  my  great  de- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


209 


light,  the  Marquise  de  Sabran,  and  the  Chevalier  de 
Boufflers.  It  was  owing  to  a  letter  from  this  amiable 
woman,  addressed  to  me  at  Berlin,  in  which  she  told  me 
that  Prince  Henri  would  never  forgive  my  leaving  for 
Russia  without  first  paying  him  a  visit,  which  decided  me 
on  taking  this  short  journey.  I  had  every  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  Madame  de  Sabran  had  spoken  the  truth,  when 
I  saw  the  Prince  hasten  to  the  carriage  to  welcome  me. 
Though  I  was  still  in  my  travelling  dress,  he  insisted  on 
at  once  presenting  me  to  his  family,  without  giving  me 
time  to  make  a  little  change  in  my  toilette.  I  fancied 
that  the  ladies  seemed  rather  astonished  ;  but  the  kind 
Prince  made  all  the  excuses,  and  took  upon  himself  all 
the  blame. 

The  chateau  is  finely  situated  and  divided  into  two 
parts,  of  which  the  Ferdinand  family  inhabited  the  lar- 
gest. The  following  day  Prince  Henri  took  me  for  a  walk 
in  the  park,  which  is  very  large  and  fine.  For  love  of  the 
brave  warriors  who  fought  with  him  in  the  Seven  Years' 
War,  the  Prince  had  erected  an  enormous  pyramid  on 
which  all  their  names  were  inscribed.  But  what  touched 
me  most,  was  the  sight  of  a  column,  at  the  base  of  which 
are  verses  in  honour  of  the  devotion  and  generous  death 
of  Malesherbes  !  * 

*  Chretien-Guillaume  de  Malesherbes  born  at  Paris,  1724,  and  died, 
guillotined  in  the  same  city,  1794.  Malesherbes  was  a  great  magis- 
•trate,  a  just  minister,  an  heroic  advocate,  a  faithful  friend,  a  volun- 
tary and  sublime  victim.  Not  having  as  defender  of  the  king  been 
able  to  save  his  august  client,  Malesherbes  would  not  defend  himself 
before  the  revolutionary  tribunal,  and  was  condemned  to  death  for 


210         SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


The  Comtesse  de  Sabran,  her  son,  and  the  Chevalier  de 
Boufflers  were  established  at  Reinsberg  :  they  remained 
there  long  after  my  departure.  The  Prince  had  given 
them  some  land,  and  the  Chevalier  had  commenced  cul- 
tivating it.  In  this  lonely  place  I  led  the  most  agreeable 
and  delightful  life  possible. 

I  cannot  express  how  sorry  I  was  to  leave  this  excellent 
Prince,  whom  alas  !  I  never  saw  again,  and  whom  I  shall 
regret  all  my  life. 

In  leaving  Reinsberg  we  took  the  road  by  Konigsberg. 
The  little  towns  we  traversed  were  very  well  built,  and 
most  of  the  country  fertile.  At  last  I  arrived  at  Riga, 
and  there  I  remained  several  days  to  rest,  and  to  await 
our  passports  for  St.  Petersburg. 


having  conspired  against  the  unity  of  the  French  Republic.  Males- 
herbes  was  conducted  to  the  scaffold  at  the  same  time  as  his  daughter 
and  her  husband.  His  foot  having  hit  against  a  stone  in  crossing  the 
Palais  de  Justice,  he  said  to  his  companion  :  "  This  is  what  may  be 
called  a  bad  omen  ;  a  Roman  in  my  place  would  have  returned  to  his 
own  home." 


CHAPTER  XV. 


Peterhof— Saint  Petersburg— Comte  Esterhazy— Czarskoiesiolo— 
Grand-Duchess  Elisabeth,  wife  of  Alexander — Catherine  II. — 
Comte  Strogonoff — Kaminostroff — Hospitable  character  of  the 
Russians. 


REACHED   St.  Petersburg  the   25th  July, 
1795,  Peterhof  road,  which  gave  me  a 

favourable  impression  of  the  city  ;  for  the 


road  is  bordered  on  each  side  by  charming  country-houses, 
surrounded  by  gardens  in  the  English  style.  The  inhabi- 
tants have  done  the  best  with  their  ground,  which  is  very 
marshy,  by  ornamenting  it  with  kiosques  and  little  bridges 
over  the  canals,  which  traverse  them.  It  is  unfortunate 
that  every  evening  the  most  frightful  humidity  sets  in, 
which  entirely  destroys  the  pleasing  aspect  of  the  place  ; 
even  before  sunset  there  arises  such  a  fog  on  this  road, 
that  one  imagines  oneself  enveloped  in  a  thick  black  smoke. 

I  was  enchanted  with  the  magnificence  of  this  city,  its 
monuments,  its  fine  hotels  and  large  streets  of  which  one, 
the  Nevski  Prospect,  is  three  miles  in  length.  The  beau- 
tiful Neva,  so  clear  and  limpid,  traverses  the  city,  laden 
with  vessels  which  go  and  come  unceasingly.  The  quays 
of  the  Neva  are  of  granite,  as  are  also  many  canals  that 
Catherine  has  had  dug  in  the  interior  of  the  city.    On  one 

211 


212 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


side  of  the  river  are  superb  monuments,  that  of  the 
Academy  of  Arts,  the  Academy  of  Science,  and  many 
others,  which  are  reflected  in  the  Neva.  In  fact,  St. 
Petersburg  transported  me  to  the  time  of  Agamemnon,  as 
much  for  the  grandeur  of  its  monuments,  as  for  the  cos- 
tume of  its  people,  which  recalls  that  of  ancient  times. 

In  the  month  of  July,  when  I  arrived,  there  was  scarcely 
one  hour  of  night ;  the  sun  sets  at  about  half-past  ten  in 
the  evening  ;  the  reflection  lasts  till  twilight  sets  in  about 
half  an  hour  after  midnight,  to  such  a  degree  that  I  have 
often  had  supper  at  eleven  o'clock  by  daylight. 

The  fatigue  I  had  undergone  in  my  journey  from  Riga 
had  been  so  great,  I  was  obliged  to  rest  at  once  on  my 
arrival.  I  was  far  from  feeling  rested  when,  after  having 
been  in  St.  Petersburg  only  twenty-four  hours.  Prince 
Esterhazy  was  announced.  He  came  to  congratulate  me 
on  my  arrival  in  St.  Petersburg,  told  me  that  he  should  at 
once  inform  the  Empress  of  it,  and  at  the  same  time  ar- 
range for  my  presentation  at  Court.  Immediately  after- 
w^ards,  I  received  a  visit  from  the  Comte  de  Choiseul 
Gouffier,  In  'conversation  with  him,  I  expressed  the 
pleasure  it  would  give  me  to  see  this  great  Catherine  ;  but 
I  did  not  hide  from  him  the  fear  and  nervousness  I  should 
feel  when  presented  to  such  a  puissante  princess.  "  Re- 
assure yourself,"  he  replied,  "  when  you  see  the  Empress, 
you  will  be  astonished  at  her  simplicity  and  good-nature  ; 
for,"  he  added,  "  she  is  really  a  good  woman." 

I  confess  that  this  expression  surprised  me  ;  I  could 
scarcely  credit  its  truth,  after  what  I  had  heard  others  say 
of  her.    It  is  true  the  Prince  de  Eigne  had  charmed  us 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  21 3 

with  the  narration  of  his  journey  in  the  Crimea,  he  had 
related  so  many  anecdotes  of  this  Princess,  which  proved 
her  to  have  as  much  grace  as  simpHcity  in  her  manners  ; 
but  a  good  wofnan,  one  must  own  was  not  the  correct  term 
to  apply  to  her. 

However  that  might  be,  that  very  evening  M.  d'Ester- 
hazy,  on  returning  from  Czarskoiesiolo,  where  the  Empress 
was  residing,  came  to  announce  that  Her  Majesty  would 
receive  me  the  following  day  at  one  o'clock.  Such  a 
prompt  presentation,  which  I  had  not  at  all  expected, 
threw  me  into  extreme  embarrassment  ;  I  had  only  some 
very  plain  muslin  dresses,  never  wearing  anything  else  in 
general,  and  it  was  impossible  to  have  a  handsome  dress 
made  by  the  following  day  even  at  St.  Petersburg.  Prince 
Esterhazy  had  told  me  that  he  should  come  to  take  me 
at  ten  o'clock  precisely  to  breakfast  with  his  wife,  who 
lived  at  Czarskoiesiolo,  so  that  when  he  arrived  at  the 
appointed  time,  I  felt  in  a  very  unhappy  state  of  mind 
as  regarded  my  toilette,  which  was  certainly  not  a  court 
toilette. 

On  arriving  at  Madame  d'Esterhazy's,  I  noticed  at  once 
her  astonishment.  Her  good-natured  politeness  could  not 
prevent  her  saying  :  "  Madame,  have  you  not  brought  an- 
other dress  ? "  I  became  crimson  at  this  question,  and 
explained  how  I  had  not  had  the  time  to  procure  a  more 
suitable  dress.  Her  dissatisfied  air  redoubled  my  anxiety 
to  such  an  extent,  that  I  had  to  screw  up  all  my  courage 
against  the  moment  of  my  presentation  to  the  Empress. 

M.  d'Esterhazy  gave  me  his  arm,  and  we  crossed  a  por- 
tion of  the  park,  when,  at  a  window  on  the  ground  floor, 


214 


SOUVENIRS  GF 


I  perceived  a  young  person  watering  a  pot  of  carnations. 
She  looked  about  seventeen  at  the  utmost ;  her  features 
were  fine  and  regular,  and  a  perfect  oval,  her  complexion 
Avas  lovely,  of  a  pallor  quite  in  harmony  with  her  face  of 
angelic  sweetness.  She  wore  a  white  loose  robe,  fastened 
by  a  sash  worn  loosely  round  her  waist,  which  was  small 
and  supple  as  a  young  nymph's.  Such  as  I  have  de- 
scribed her,  this  young  person  stepped  forward  so  grace- 
fully, that  I  cried  out :  "  She  is  Psyche  !  "  It  was  the 
Princess  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Alexander.  She  at  once  ad- 
dressed me,  and  kept  me  sufficiently  long  enough  to  say 
a  thousand  gracious  things,  then  she  added  :  "  We  have 
long  been  wanting  to  see  you  here,  Madame,  so  much  so 
that  I  even  dreamt  you  had  arrived."  I  left  her  with  re- 
gret, and  I  have  always  remembered  the  lovely  apparition. 

Tremblingly  I  arrived  at  the  palace,  and  a  few  moments 
afterwards  was  tete-h-tete  with  the  autocrat  of  all  the 
Russias.  M.  d'Esterhazy  had  informed  me  that  I  must 
kiss  her  hand,  and  in  consequence  of  this  custom  she  had 
taken  off  one  of  her  gloves,  which  ought  to  have  reminded 
me  of  it ;  but  I  entirely  forgot  it.  It  is  true  that  the  ap- 
pearance of  this  celebrated  woman  made  such  an  impres- 
sion on  me,  that  it  was  impossible  to  think  of  anything 
else  but  looking  at  her.  I  was  at  first  extremely  surprised 
to  find  her  very  short ;  I  had  fancied  her  prodigiously 
tall,  as  high  as  her  grandeur.  She  was  very  stout,  but 
had  still  a  handsome  face,  beautifully  set  off  by  her  white 
curly  hair.  Genius  seemed  seated  on  her  high  white  fore- 
head. Her  eyes  were  soft  and  sweet,  her  nose  quite  Gre- 
cian, her  complexion  florid,  and  her  features  very  animated. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  ,      *      21 5 

She  at  once  said  in  a  voice  of  much  sweetness  :  I  am 
charmed  to  see  you  here,  Madame  ;  your  reputation  has 
preceded  you.  I  greatly  love  the  arts  ;  and  above  all 
painting.    I  am  not  a  connoisseur,  only  an  amateur." 

Everything  she  said  during  this  interview,  which  was 
rather  long,  was  the  hope  that  I  should  be  so  well  pleased 
with  Russia,  that  I  should  remain  in  the  country  some 
tim^e,  and  her  whole  conversation  showed  so  much  true 
benevolence,  that  my  timidity  disappeared,  and  when  I 
took  leave  of  Her  Majesty  I  was  entirely  reassured. 
Only  I  could  not  forgive  myself  for  having  forgotten  to 
kiss  her  beautiful  white  hand,  and  I  was  still  more  vexed 
because  M.  d'Esterhazy  reproached  me  for  it.  As  for  my 
dress,  she  did  not  appear  to  have  paid  the  least  attention 
to  it,  and  perhaps  she  was  less  scrupulous  than  our  am- 
bassadress. I  went  over  a  portion  of  the  gardens  of  Czar- 
skoiesiolo  which  are  quite  fairy  like.  The  Empress  had  a 
sort  of  terrace  which  communicated  with  her  apartments, 
on  which  she  kept  a  quantity  of  birds  ;  they  told  me  she 
went  herself  to  feed  them,  and  it  was  one  of  her  greatest 
pleasures. 

Shortly  after  my  reception,  Her  Majesty  expressed  her 
intention  of  allowing  me  to  pass  the  summer  in  this  beau- 
tiful country  place.  She  ordered  her  Controllers  of  the 
Household  to  give  me  apartments  in  the  chateau,  desiring 
to  have  me  near  her  in  order  to  see  me  paint.  But  I 
have  since  heard  that  these  gentlemen  did  not  wish  to  see 
me  placed  so  near  the  Empress  ;  and  notwithstanding  re- 
iterated orders  they  persisted  in  saying  that  there  were  no 
available  rooms  to  be  had.    What  much  surprised  me  was 


2l6 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


to  hear  that  these  courtiers,  believing  me  to  be  of  the 
party  of  the  Comte  d'Artois,  feared  that  through  my  in- 
fluence I  might  succeed  in  replacing  M.  d'Esterhazy  by 
another  ambassador.  It  is  highly  probable  that  M. 
d'Esterhazy  was  quite  aware  of  their  proceedings  ;  but 
he  knew  me  very  little  not  to  understand  that  I  was  far 
too  occupied  with  my  painting  to  give  my  time  to  polit- 
ical matters. 

The  welcome  which  I  received  in  Russia  was  suffi- 
ciently good  to  console  me  for  a  petty  court  intrigue.  My 
letters  of  introduction  became  quite  useless  to  me  ;  not 
only  was  I  invited  to  pass  my  life  in  the  best  and  most 
agreeable  houses,  but  I  met  again  at  St.  Petersburg,  many 
old  friends  and  acquaintances.  First  of  all  the  Comte 
Strogonoff,  a  true  lover  of  the  arts,  whose  portrait  I  first 
took  in  Paris,  when  I  was  very  young.  We  met  again 
with  the  greatest  pleasure.  He  possessed,  at  St.  Peters- 
burg, a  splendid  collection  of  pictures,  and  near  the  city, 
at  Raminostroff,  a  charming  Italian  casino,  where  every 
Sunday  he  gave  great  dinner  parties.  I  was  enchanted 
with  the  place,  the  windows  of  the  casino  overlooked  the 
Neva.  The  garden,  which  appeared  of  great  extent,  was 
laid  out  in  the  English  manner.  Quantities  of  boats  ar- 
rived from  all  quarters  bringing  people  either  to  dine  at 
Comte  Strogonoff's  or  simply  to  walk  in  his  garden. 

On  the  day  I  was  there,  about  three  o'clock,  we  all  as- 
sembled in  a  covered  terrace,  open  at  each  side;  on  one 
side  lay  the  park,  and  on  the  other  the  Neva.  It  was  the 
most  perfect  weather  ;  for  summer  is  most  exquisite  in 
Russia,  though  often  in  July  I  have  found  it  hotter  than 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


217 


Italy.  We  dined  on  this  terrace,  the  dinner  was  magnifi- 
cent ;  as  soon  as  we  were  seated  at  table,  a  company  of 
musicians  played  delightfully  during  the  whole  of  dinner. 

The  house  of  Comte  Strogonoff  was  far  from  being  the 
only  one  of  like  magnificence.  At  St.  Petersburg,  as  at 
Moscow,  numbers  of  the  nobility  possessing  colossal  for- 
tunes, prided  themselves  on  keeping  an  open  table,  so 
that  any  well  recommended  stranger  had  never  occasion 
to  dine  at  a  restaurant.  I  recollect  that  towards  the  end 
of  my  stay  at  St.  Petersburg,  Prince  Narischkin,  grand 
equerry,  kept  an  open  table  of  twenty-five  to  thirty  places 
every  day  for  visitors  who  had  brought  letters  of  intro- 
duction. 

This  hospitality  exists  also  in  the  interior  of  Russia, 
where  modern  civilisation  has  not  hitherto  penetrated. 


10 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


Comte   Cobentzel — Princesse   Dolgorouki — Tableaux  Vivants — Po- 
tcmkin — Madame  de  With — I  am  robbed — Doyen — M.  de  L  . 

PROFITED  by  the  remainder  of  the  fine 
weather  to  visit  a  little  of  the  country  around 
St.  Petersburg  ;  for  summer  finishes  in  Russia 
in  the  month  of  August,  and  there  is  no  autumn.  I  often 
■walked  in  the  Park  of  Czarskoiesiolo,  which  is  very  fine 
and  bordered  by  the  sea  ;  it  is  full  of  monuments  that  the 
Empress  calls  her  caprices.  One  sees  a  superb  marble 
bridge  in  the  style  of  the  Palladio  ;  Turkish  baths,  tro- 
phies of  the  victories  of  Romazoff  and  Orloff ;  a  temple 
Avith  thirty-two  columns,  then  the  colonnade,  and  grand 
staircase  of  Hercules. 

Comte  Cobentzel  wished  me  much  to  make  the  ac- 
quaintance of  a  woman  whose  cleverness  and  beauty  I  had 
heard  greatly  praised,  the  Princesse  Dolgorouki.  I  re- 
ceived an  invitation  to  dine  with  her  at  her  country-house^ 
Alexandrowski,  and  the  Comte  came  to  escort  me  there 
with  my  daughter.  This  large  house  was  very  poorly  fur- 
nished ;  the  river  flowed  at  the  bottom  of  the  garden,  and 
it  delighted  me  to  see  the  continual  passage  of  boats  in 
which  the  rowers  always  sang.  Their  songs  are  all  melo- 
dious and  sad. 

2l8 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  2ig 

The  beauty  of  Princesse  Dolgorouki  struck  me.  Her 
features  were  of  the  Grecian  mixed  with  the  Jewish  type, 
particularly  the  profile.  Her  long  chestnut  hair  fell  over 
her  shoulders  ;  her  figure  was  admirable,  and  her  whole 
bearing  expressed  grace  and  nobiHty  without  the  least 
affectation.  She  received  me  with  so  much  amiability  and 
distinction,  that  I  at  once  accepted  her  invitation  to  pass 
a  week  with  her.  The  amiable  Princesse  Kourakin,  with 
whom  I  then  made  acquaintance,  was  residing  with  the 
Princesse  Dolgorouki,  and  these  two  ladies  with  Comte 
Cobentzel  kept  house  together.  The  other  guests  were 
very  numerous,  and  no  one  thought  of  anything  but  amu-s- 
ing  themselves.  After  dinner  we  used  to  go  in  elegant 
boats  on  the  river ;  musicians  in  another  boat  preceded 
us.  The  evening  of  my  arrival  we  had  a  delightful  con- 
cert, and  the  day  after,  theatricals.  They  performed  the 
Souterrain  by  Dalayrac.  The  Princesse  Dolgorouki  took 
the  part  of  Camille  ;  young  Ribaussiere  (who  has  since 
been  made  minister  in  Russia),  the  part  of  the  child  ;  and 
Comte  Cobentzel,  the  gardener.  I  remember  that  during 
the  performance  a  courier  arrived  from  Vienna  with  de- 
spatches, for  the  Comte,  who  was  Austrian  Ambassador  to 
St.  Petersburg,  and  at  the  sight  of  a  man,  dressed  as  a  gar- 
dener, he  refused  to  give  him  the  despatches,  which  raised 
a  most  amusing  discussion. 

The  little  theatre  was  charming,  and  I  profited  by  it  to 
arrange  some  tableaux.  I  chose  my  personages  from  the 
handsomest  men  and  the  most  beautiful  women  who  visited 
us,  and  I  draped  them  in  cashmere  shawls  of  which  we 
had  an  abundance.    I  chose  serious  or  Bible  subjects,  in 


220 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


preference  to  any  other.  These  tableaux-vivants  greatly 
amused  the  company. 

At  the  end  of  a  week,  which  appeared  like  a  moment,  I 
bade  adieu  to  the  amiable  Princess  ;  for  I  had  made  so 
many  engagements  for  portraits,  I  could  not,  to  my  regret 
stay  any  longer. 

Comte  de  Cobentzel  was  passionately  in  love  with  the 
Princesse  Dolgorouki,  without  her  returning  it  the  very 
least  ;  but  the  indifference  with  which  she  received  his 
attentions,  did  not  cause  the  least  diminution  in  them,  and 
as  the  old  song  says,  he  preferred  her  frowns  to  the  favours 
of  any  other  women.  He  was  her  slave  in  everything. 
Comte  de  Cobentzel  appeared  about  fifty  years  of  age,  was 
very  ugly  and  squinted  horribly.  He  was  tall,  but  very 
fat,  which  did  not  prevent  his  being  very  active,  especially 
when  he  executed  the  orders  of  his  well-beloved  Princess. 

What  made  the  Princesse  Dolgorouki  so  indifferent  to 
the  attentions  of  M.  de  Cobentzel  and  many  other  adorers, 
was  that  she  was  accustomed  to  the  worship  of  men  still 
higher  in  rank  and  intellect.  The  famous  Potemkin,*  who 
desired  that  the  word  impossible  should  be  erased  from  the 
dictionary,  had  loved  her  passionately,  and  the  magnifi- 
cence with  which  he  showed  his  love,  was  such  as  one 
reads  of  in  the  "  Arabian  Nights."  In  1791,  after  his  jour- 
ney in  the  Crimea,  the  Empress  Catherine  H.  returned  to 
Saint  Petersburg,   Prince  Potemkin  remained  commander- 


*  Gregoire  Alexandrovitch,  Prince  Potemkin,  the  most  known  fa- 
vourite of  the  Empress  Catherine  II.,  was  born  in  1736  near  Smo- 
lensko,  and  died  at  Nicolaief  in  1791. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


221 


in-chief  of  the  army,  where  most  of  the  Generals  had 
brought  their  wives.  It  was  then  that  he  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  Princesse  Dolgorouki.  She  was  called 
Catherine,  and  her  fete  day  having  arrived,  the  Prince  gave 
a  grand  dinner,  said  to  be  in  honour  of  the  Empress.  He  ( 
had  placed  the  Princesse  by  his  side.  At  dessert,  crystal 
cups  filled  with  diamonds  were  served  to  the  ladies  in 
spoonfuls.  The  queen  of  the  feast  appeared  to  remark 
this  magnificence  ;  Potemkin  whispered  to  her  in  a  low 
voice  :  "  Since  it  is  you  that  I  fete,  how  can  you  be  aston- 
ished at  anything  !  "  He  spared  nothing  in  order  to  sat- 
isfy a  desire  or  a  caprice  of  this  adored  woman.  Having 
heard  that  she  had  no  shoes  for  a  ball,  owing  to  her 
always  getting  them  from  France,  Potemkin  immediately 
despatched  a  courier  to  Paris,  who  by  travelling  day  and 
night,  brought  her  the  shoes.  One  circumstance  well 
known  by  everyone  at  St.  Petersburg,  is,  that  to  afford  the 
Princesse  a  spectacle  which  she  had  expressed  a  wish  to 
see,  he  gave  orders  for  the  assault  on  the  fortress  of  Otsha- 
koff  sooner  than  was  agreed  upon,  and  perhaps  sooner 
than  was  prudent. 

When  I  arrived  at  Saint  Petersburg  Prince  Potemkin 
had  been  dead  some  years,  but  they  spoke  of  him  still  as  a 
sort  of  enchanter.  One  may  form  an  idea  of  the  extraor- 
dinary power  and  grandeur  of  his  imagination,  in  reading 
the  accounts  written  by  the  Prince  de  Ligne  and  Comte 
de  Segur,  on  the  journey  made  by  the  Empress  Catherine 
II.,  in  the  Crimea.  The  palaces,  the  wooden  villages  built 
on  the  road,  as  by  a  fairy's  wand  ;  the  immense  forest  he 
burnt  to  give  Her  Majesty  a  real  firework  exhibition — 


222 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


all  this  journey,  in  fact,  is  truly  fantastic  and  characteristic 
of  the  man.  His  niece,  the  Comtesse  Scawronski,  told  me 
at  Vienna  :  "  If  my  uncle  had  known  you,  he  would  have 
overwhelmed  you  with  riches  and  honour."  It  is  certain 
that  this  celebrated  man,  showed  himself  generous  to  a 
fault,  and  foolishly  magnificent  ;  and  though  possess- 
ing a  fortune  which  exceeded  many  sovereigns,  the 
Prince  de  Ligne  told  me  he  was  frequently  short  of 
money. 

The  favour  and  power  bestowed  on  him  by  the  Empress 
had  accustomed  Prince  Potemkin  to  satisfy  his  slightest 
wish.  A  story  is  told  of  him  which  proves  this  undoubt- 
edly. Some  one  speaking  before  him  one  day  of  the 
height  of  one  of  his  aides-de-camp,  said  that  an  officer 
whom  he  named,  in  the  Russian  Army,  was  even  taller. 
Those  present  who  knew  the  officer,  contested  the  point. 
Potemkin  immediately  sent  off  an  express  with  the  order 
to  bring  back  the  gentleman  in  question,  who  was  then 
about  2,400  miles  off.  When  the  officer  heard  that  he  was 
sent  for  by  the  Prince,  his  joy  was  extreme  ;  for  he  felt 
assured  he  was  going  to  be  appointed  to  a  superior  grade. 
One  can  therefore  imagine  his  disappointment,  when  on 
his  arrival  at  the  camp,  he  learnt  that  it  was  only  that 
he  might  be  measured  against  the  aide-de-camp  of  Potem- 
kin, and  that  he  was  expected  to  return  at  once  without 
any  other  result  than  the  fatigue  of  a  very  long  jour- 
ney. 

The  man  who  had  so  very  long  remained  first  favourite, 
and  who  had,  as  it  were,  reigned  by  the  side  of  his  sov- 
ereign, could  not  suryive  the  thought  of  a  disgrace.  When 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  223 

he  learnt  that  the  new  favourite,  young  Platon  Zouboff,* 
appeared  to  have  gained  entire  ascendency  over  the  mind 
of  the  Empress,  Potemkin  at  once  decided  on  leaving  the 
army,  and  flew  to  St.  Petersburg.  In  the  meanwhile, 
Catherine  II.  had  sent  Prince  Repnin  to  replace  him  in 
the  command  of  the  army,  with  orders  to  treat  for  peace, 
to  which  Potemkin  had  always  been  opposed.  Irritated  to 
the  last  degree  on  hearing  this,  he  hastened  on  in  the  hope 
of  stopping  the  final  signature  ;  but  at  Yassy,  he  learnt  that 
peace  was  concluded.  This  news  was  fatal  ;  having  been 
for  some  time  ailing,  he  became  dangerously  ill,  which  did 
not  prevent  his-  continuing  his  journey  to  St.  Petersburg. 
His  malady  made  such  progress,  that  he  was  unable  after  a 
few  hours  to  endure  the  motion  of  the  carriage  ;  they  laid 
him  down  in  a  field  and  covered  him  with  cloaks,  and  there, 
Potemkin  breathed  his  last,  the  15th  of  October,  1791,  in 
the  arms  of  the  Comtesse  Branicka,  his  niece.  I  have 
never  forgotten  a  speech  the  old  Princesse  Galitzin  made 


*  Platon  Zouboff,  Lieutenant  in  the  Horse  Guards  of  the  Empress 
of  Russia,  became  in  1791  the  last  favourite  of  Catherine  II.  Soon 
afterwards  he  was  made  Grand  Master  of  Artillery,  Chevalier  of  the 
Order  of  St.  Andrew  and  created  Prince.  Disgraced  under  Paul  I., 
all  his  papers  were  seized,  and  he  was  deprived  of  all  his  posts.  Re- 
called again  to  Court  by  the  influence  of  Comte  Pahlen,  Governor- 
General  of  St.  Petersburg,  Platon  Zouboff  became,  with  his  protector, 
chief  of  the  conspiracy  against  the  life  of  Paul  I.  He  was  the  crud- 
est and  most  bitter  of  the  Emperor's  assassins.  It  was  he  who 
strangled  the  unfortunate  prince  with  his  scarf.  Nicholas  and  Vale- 
rian Zouboff,  his  brothers,  had  also  a  large  share  in  the  conspiracy 
and  assassination. 


224 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


to  me  one  day  when  speaking  of  the  death  of  this  celebrated 
man  :  "  Alas,  my  dear,  this  great  Prince,  who  had  so  many 
diamonds  and  so  much  wealth,  died  on  the  grass." 

Princesse  Dolgorouki  was  not  the  only  beauty  with 
whom  the  Prince  fell  in  love.  One,  a  charming  Pole  whom 
he  adored,  went  by  the  name  of  Madame  de  With;  she 
afterwards  married  M.  de  Potocki.  For  her,  too,  he  dis- 
played a  gallantry  of  the  most  recherche  kind.  Amongst 
other  traits  of  his  magnificence,  he  devised  2,  fete ^  and  in- 
vited two  hundred  ladies  ;  after  the  dinner,  there  was  a 
lottery  from  which  each  lady  gained  a  splendid  cashmere, 
and  by  this  means  he  was  enabled  to  give  the  finest  and 
costliest  shawl  into  the  hands  of  the  lovely  Madame  de 
With.  Some  years  after  this  epoch,  I  met  Madame  de 
With  in  Paris,  she  was  then  as  young  and  pretty  looking 
as  it  is  possible  to  be,  but  rather  vain  of  her  charming 
face. 

As  regards  my  monetary  affairs,  the  first  days  of  my 
stay  in  Russia  were  by  no  means  happy  ones  for  me.  One 
may  form  an  idea  by  the  copy  of  a  letter  I  wrote  to  my 
sister-in-law,  Madame  Vigee,  six  weeks  after  my  arrival. 

"  St.  Petersburg,  September  10,  1795. 

I  must  now,  dear  Suzette,  put  you  au  courant  of  all 
my  cares  and  tribulations.  I  am  installed  in  an  apartment 
which  suits  me  very  well,  as  it  has  a  very  good  studio  ; 
but  it  is  very  damp,  the  house  only  having  been  built  three 
years,  and  not  having  been  previously  inhabited,  which 
makes  me  foresee  a  move  before  the  end  of  summer. 
This  inconvenience  is  unfortunately  not  the  only  one. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  22 5 

Amongst  others,  an  event  has  occurred  which  has  given  me 
a  great  deal  of  trouble. 

"  Shortly  after  my  arrival,  I  was  invited  to  spend  the  even- 
ing at  the  house  of  the  Princesse  Mentschikoff,  where  there 
were  charming  private  theatricals.  On  returning  home 
about  one  in  the  morning,  I  found  Madame  Charot,  my 
daughter's  governess,  standing  on  the  staircase  looking  ter- 
rified and  very  pale  :  '  Ah  !  Madame,'  she  cried,  '  you  have 
been  robbed  of  all  your  money  ! '  You  may  imagine  just 
what  a  shock  this  gave  me.  Then  she  told  me  that  my  Ger- 
man servant  had  been  the  culprit ;  that  they  had  found  on 
his  person  and  in  his  bed  packets  of  my  gold  ;  that  he  had 
even  thrown  some  down  the  staircase,  in  order  that  the 
Russian  servant  might  also  be  accused.  At  last  he  had 
been  taken  away  by  the  police,  who  after  counting  the 
money  had  taken  it  away  as  proof  of  the  delinquency.  I 
at  once  told  Madame  Charot  that  she  had  been  very  wrong 
to  let  them  take  away  my  pieces  of  gold,  and  I  was  very 
right  ;  for,  now  that  the  affair  is  finished,  they  have  given 
me  back  the  number  of  my  pieces,  but  not  their  value.  I 
had  dappios  and  quadruples  of  Vienna,  for  which  they  gave 
me  bad  ducats,  so  that  I  lost  15,000  francs.  But  what 
made  me  more  miserable  still  was  that,  according  to  the 
law  of  the  country,  this  unfortunate  boy  was  condemned 
to  be  hanged.  He  is  son  of  the  concierge  of  the  Convent 
of  Caltemberg,  which  the  Prince  de  Ligne  lent  me  as  a 
residence  when  at  Vienna.  The  man  and  his  wife  are  the 
most  honest  people  in  the  world,  they  took  the  greatest 
care  of  me,  and  I  could  not  bear  the  idea  of  seeing  their 
son  hanged.  I  went  to  the  governor  and  implored  him  to 
10^ 


226 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


save  the  miserable  young  man,  and  to  let  him  go  away 
quietly.  Comte  Samoieloff  would  not  listen  to  my  request, 
saying  that  the  Empress  had  been  informed  of  the  robbery, 
and  was  incensed  at  it.  I  cannot  tell  you  what  it  cost  me 
in  time  and  trouble  to  obtain  the  assurance  at  last  that  he 
should  be  sent  away  to  sea,  which  was  done. 

"  To  return  to  my  15,000  francs,  1  regret  it  all  the  more 
because  I  have  since  lost  45,000  elsewhere.  This  is  how : 
during  the  first  month  of  my  stay  here,  I  had  earned 
15,000  roubles,  a  rouble  is  worth  three  francs  ;  I  was  ad- 
vised to  place  this  money  with  a  banker  who  was  held  in 
great  esteem.  This  estimable  person  became  a  bankrupt, 
and  I  never  saw  any  more  of  my  45,000  francs.  Hitherto 
it  has  been  impossible  for  me  to  put  by  anything  of  what 
I  have  saved  ;  I  await  with  resignation  a  more  fortunate 
time. 

"  To  change  the  subject,  I  must  again  tell  you  that  I 
have  again  met  my  old  friend,  Doyen,  the  painter,  who  is 
so  good  and  kind  ;  the  Empress  likes  him  much.  She 
came  to  his  assistance  ;  for  he  emigrated  without  any  for- 
tune, having  only  left  in  France  a  country-house,  which 
was  taken  from  him.  He  has  his  place  at  the  theatre, 
close  to  the  Empress'  box,  who,  I  hear,  often  talks  with 
him. 

"  I  have  also  had  the  pleasure  of  again  meeting  the 
Baronne  de  Strogonoff,  of  whom  I  saw  so  much  at  Vienna, 
where  I  made  the  portraits  of  herself  and  husband.  I  had 
a  little  adventure  at  her  house,  which  I  must  tell  you,  as  it 
will  make  you  laugh.  One  day  at  Vienna,  whilst  Madame 
de  Strogonoff  was  having  a  sitting,  she  spoke  to  me  about 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  22/ 

a  Greek  supper,  which  you  will  recollect  I  mentioned  to 
you  at  the  time  ;  she  added  she  knew  that  this  sugper  had 
cost  me  60,000  francs.  I  gave  quite  a  jump  off  my  seat 
on  hearing  this,  and  I  speedily  told  her  all  about  it,  and  I 
proved  to  her  that  I  had  only  spent  about  fifteen  francs. 
'  You  astonish  me,'  she  replied  ;  *for  at  St.  Petersburg  we 
heard  of  it  from  one  of  your  own  countrymen,  Monsieur 

de  L  ,  who  said  he  was  very  intimate  with  you,  and 

that  he  had  been  one  of  your  guests.*  I  replied  what  was 
true,  that  I  only  knew  M.  de  L  by  name,  and  the  sub- 
ject dropped. 

"  A  few  days  after  my  arrival  in  St.  Petersburg,  which 

certainly  M.  de  L  never  supposed  me  to  be  even  likely 

to  visit,  the  Baronne  de  Strogonoff  was  ailing,  and  I  went 
to  see  her ;  as  I  was  seated  at  the  side  of  her  bed,  M.  de 

L  was  announced.    Quick,  I  hid  myself  behind  the 

curtains,  and  the  gentleman  entered ;  the  Baronne  said  to 
him — 

" '  Well  !  you  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  Madame  Le 
Brun  has  arrived  ? ' 

"  Then  for  fun  she  began  to  draw  him  out  on  the  subject 
of  his  acquaintance  with  me,  and  the  Greek  supper.  The 
man  commenced  to  stammer,  and  the  Baronne  still  asked 
more  questions,  till  at  last  I  came  forward  and  went  up  to 
him.  '  Monsieur, '  I  said,  '  you  are  very  intimate  then  with 
Madame  Le  Brun  ? '  He  was  obliged  to  say,  *  Yes.' 
'  This  is  very  strange,'  I  replied,  '  for  Monsieur,  I  am 
Madame  Le  Brun,  her  whom  you  have  calumniated,  and  I 
meet  you  to-day  for  the  first  time  in  my  life.'  At  these 
words  his  limbs  quite  shook  under  him.    He  took  his  hat 


228  SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


and  went  away,  and  has  not  since  been  seen  ;  for  at  the 
best  houses  he  has  been  shown  the  door. 

"  One  sad  thing  I  have  to  remark  very  frequently,  that 
in  a  strange  country  the  French  alone  are  capable  of  tra- 
ducing their  country  people,  even  to  the  point  of  calumny. 
Everywhere,  on  the  contraty,  one  sees  the  English,  the 
Germans,  and  the  Italians,  upholding  and  mutually  sup- 
porting each  other. 

"  Adieu,  my  good  Suzette,  I  embrace  and  love  thee  with 
all  my  heart.  My  love  to  my  brother  also,  and  to  thy  dear 
little  girl,  who  is  so  pretty  and  interesting." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


I  paint  the  two  young  Grand-Duchesses,  daughters  of  Paul — Platon 
Zouboff  —  The  Grand-Duchess  Elizabeth  —  The  Grand-Duchess 
Anne,  wife  of  Constantine — Madame  Narischkin — A  Court  Ball — 
A  Gala — Dinners  at  St.  Petersburg. 

S  I  had  predicted,  it  was  not  long  before  I  moved 
into  other  apartments,  which  were  situated  on 
1  the  grand  square  of  the  Imperial  Palace. 
When  the  Empress  returned  to  the  city,  I  used  to  watch 
her  every  morning  throw  pieces  of  bread  to  hundreds  of 
crows,  that  each  day  at  a  certain  hour  came  to  seek  their 
pittance.  In  the  evenings  I  could  see  her  at  about  ten 
o'clock,  when  her  rooms  were  lighted  up,  playing  at  hide 
and  seek  and  other  games  with  her  grandchildren  and 
other  people  of  the  Court. 

As  soon  as  Her  Majesty  had  returned  to  St.  Petersburg 
from  Czarskoiesiolo,  the  Comte  Strogonoff  brought  me  an 
order  from  her  to  paint  the  two  Grand-Duchesses  Alexan- 
drine and  Helene.  These  princesses  were  about  thirteen 
and  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  their  countenances  were 
really  lovely,  though  with  totally  different  expressions. 
Their  complexion  was  so  fine  and  delicate,  you  would  have 
thought  that  they  lived  on  ambrosia.  The  eldest,  Alex- 
andrine, was  of  the  Grecian  type  ;  but  Helene's  face  ex- 

229 


230 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


pressed  much  more  refinement.  I  grouped  them  together, 
holding  and  looking  at  a  portrait  of  the  Empress  ;  the 
costume  was  slightly  Greek,  but  very  simple  and  modest. 
I  was  therefore  greatly  surprised  when  Zouboff,  the  fa- 
vourite, told  me  that  Her  Majesty  was  scandalised  at  the 
manner  I  had  dressed  the  two  Grand-Duchesses  in  my 
picture.  I  so  entirely  believed  this  unkind  remark,  that  I 
speedily  replaced  my  tunics  by  the  dresses  the  princesses 
ordinarily  wore,  and  covered  their  arms  with  long  sleeves. 
The  truth  is  that  the  Empress  had  said  nothing  of  the 
kind  ;  for  she  had  the  goodness  to  assure  me  of  this  the 
very  next  time  I  saw  her.  I  had  none  the  less  spoilt  the 
arrangement  of  my  picture,  without  counting  that  their 
pretty  arms,  which  I  had  painted  in  my  best  manner,  were 
no  longer  seen.  I  remember  that  Paul,  when  Emperor, 
reproached  me  one  day  for  having  changed  the  costume 
that  I  had  at  first  given  to  his  daughters.  I  told  him  at 
once  how  it  had  occurred,  on  which  he  shrugged  his 
shoulders  and  said  :  It  was  a  trick  played  on  you."  I 
may  add  that  it  was  not  the  only  one,  for  Zouboff  did  not 
like  me.  His  malevolence  towards  me  was  proved  on 
another  occasion  in  the  following  manner.  Crowds  came 
to  my  rooms  to  see  the  portraits  of  the  Grand-Duchesses 
and  my  other  works.  As  I  did  not  wish  to  lose  all  my 
mornings,  I  had  fixed  Sunday  morning  to  open  my  studio, 
as  I  had  always  done  in  the  countries  I  had  visited.  My 
rooms  faced  the  palace  ;  the  carriages  of  all  those  who  came 
to  make  their  court  to  the  Empress,  had  only  to  turn  to 
arrive  at  once  at  my  door.  Zouboff,  who  could  not  imagine 
apparently  that  crowds  could  care  to  visit  a  painter,  merely 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  231 

for  the  sake  of  seeing  her  paintings,  said  one  day  to  Her 
Majesty  :  "  Do  you  see,  Madame,  they  go  also  to  pay  their 
court  to  Madame  Le  Brun  ;  it  is  surely  assignations  that 
they  make  at  her  house."  Happily  for  me  these  insinua- 
tions had  no  effect  on  the  elevated  mind  of  the  Empress, 
neither  did  she  take  notice  of  the  perfidy  of  her  favourite  ; 
but  the  Prince  de  Nassau,  who  heard  the  remark,  came  at 
once  to  inform  me  of  it,  he  was  so  indignant. 

Why  Zouboff  did  not  like  me,  I  have  never  rightly  been 
able  to  guess.  He  was,  I  know,  the  protector  of  Lampi, 
a  skilful  portrait  painter,  who  was  established  at  St.  Peters- 
burg ;  but  Lampi  was  always  very  good  to  me.  The  day 
after  my  arrival,  he  called  and  invited  me  to  dinner.  I  re- 
member that  the  dinner  was  quite  recherche\  and  that  dur- 
ing the  repast,  we  were  treated  to  an  excellent  selection  of 
music.  Though  I  have  been  assured  that  I  excited  the 
jealousy  of  Lampi,  I  have  since  learnt  to  the  contrary,  that 
he  praised  my  works,  and  said  he  could  not  do  as  well. 

It  is  possible  that  the  favourite  was  ill-disposed  towards 
me,  because  I  had  seemed  to  neglect  his  patronage. 
Zouboff  liked  people  to  ask  for  his  support ;  but  pride  has 
always  made  me  fear  that  people  might  attribute  to  pro- 
tection the  success  I  desired  to  obtain  ;  whether  right  or 
wrong,  I  wished  to  owe  my  reputation  and  fortune  to  my 
palette.  Zouboff  must  have  found  it  difficult  to  under- 
stand my  mode  of  proceeding,  since  he  had  a  whole  Court 
at  his  feet.  Intoxicated  by  the  favour  which  became 
more  and  more  marked,  I  am  told  he  often  treated  the 
ministers  and  nobles  with  extremxC  insolence.  From  early 
morning,  the  greatest  personages  of  the  Court  waited  in 


232 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


the  ante-chambers  the  moment  that  his  door  was  opened  ; 
for  he  had  a  lever ^  Hke  Louis  XIV.,  after  which  they  re- 
tired, happy  to  have  assisted  at  the  toilette  of  Platon  Zou- 
boff,  above  all  if  he  had  honored  them  with  a  smile. 

As  soon  as  I  had  finished  the  portraits  of  the  Grand- 
Duchesses,  the  Empress  commanded  me  to  take  that  of 
the  Grand-Duchess  Elizabeth,  recently  married  to  Alexan- 
der. I  have  already  said  what  an  enchanting  person  this 
Princess  was  ;  I  should  have  preferred  to  have  painted 
her  according  to  my  imagination,  instead  of  in  the  ordinary 
costume  of  the  day  ;  but  since  this  was  not  to  be,  I  painted 
her  full  length,  in  court  dress,  arranging  flowers  in  a 
basket.  I  went  to  her  for  the  sitting  and  was  shown  into 
her  divan,  a  name  given  to  immense  salons  surrounded  by 
a  large  divan  ;  this  salo7i  was  hung  in  pale  blue  velvet, 
edged  with  silver  fringe.  The  Grand-Duchess  speedily 
appeared,  dressed  in  a  white  robe,  such  as  she  wore  the 
first  time  I  saw  her  ;  it  was  still  Psyche,  and  her  manner 
so  sweet,  so  gracious,  joined  to  her  charming  face,  made 
me  admire  her  doubly. 

When  I  had  finished  her  large  portrait,  she  made  me 
take  another  for  her  mother,  in  which  I  painted  her  with 
a  transparent  violet  shawl,  leaning  against  a  cushion.  I 
can  say  that  the  more  I  saw  of  her,  the  more  I  found  her 
manner  kind  and  loveable.  One  morning,  when  she  was 
giving  me  a  sitting,  a  sudden  giddiness  seized  me,  my 
eyes  seemed  to  be  full  of  sparks ;  she  became  much 
alarmed,  and  ran  herself  to  fetch  me  water,  and  bathed 
my  eyes,  caring  for  me  with  the  greatest  solicitude,  and 
on  my  return  home  sent  at  once  to  inquire  how  I  was. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  233. 

I  also  at  the  same  time  made  the  portrait  of  the  Grand- 
Duchess  Anne,  wife  of  the  Grand-Duke  Constantine.  She 
was  a  Princess  of  Coburg,  and  though  not  possessing  such 
a  heavenly  face  as  that  of  her  sister-in-law,  was  not  less 
lovely  and  bewitching.  She  might  have  been  sixteen 
years  of  age,  and  th^  liveliest  gaiety  reigned  in  all  her 
features.  This  Princess,  however,  had  not  known  much 
happiness  in  Russia. 

If  we  may  say  that  Alexander  took  after  his  mother  by 
his  beauty  and  character,  we  know  that  it  was  not  thus  with 
Constantine,  who  resembled  his  father,  without  being  as 
ugly,  and  who  also,  like  him,  had  a  fearful  temper.  It  is 
true  that  sometimes  Constantine  showed  much  kindness 
and  goodness  of  disposition  ;  when  he  loved,  he  loved 
well  ;  but  with  the  exception  of  those  persons  who  had 
found  the  road  to  his  heart,  his  rages  and  violence  ren- 
dered him  terrible  to  all  who  approached  him.  Amongst 
different  singular  stories  told  of  him,  it  is  said,  that  on  the 
evening  of  his  wedding-day,  at  the  moment  of  retiring  to 
his  wife,  he  went  into  a  horrible  rage  against  a  soldier  of 
the  guard  who  had  not  paid  sufficient  attention  to  his 
countersign.  This  scene  was  prolonged  in  such  an  extra- 
ordinary manner,  that  all  the  people  of  the  Court,  who 
accompanied  him,  could  not  conceive  how  he  could  re- 
main such  a  long  time  ill-treating  a  soldier  on  duty,  in- 
stead of  going  at  once  to  the  young  and  lovely  woman  he 
had  that  morning  married.  Shortly  after  his  marriage,  he 
became  very  jealous  of  his  brother  Alexander,  which  cre- 
ated violent  quarrels  between  himself  and  the  Duchess 
Anne,  who  was  indignant  at  his  suspicions.    These  differ- 


234 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


ences  got  to  such  a  point,  that  it  resulted  at  last  in  a  divorce. 
The  Princess  returned  at  first  to  her  parents,  but  later  on, 
when  I  was  in  Switzerland,  I  found  her  settled  there. 

There  is  every  reason  to  believe,  that  the  Grand- 
Duchess  Elizabeth,  that  angel  of  beauty,  was  not  more 
happy  than  her  sister-in-law,  in  retailing  the  heart  of  her 
husband.  The  love  of  Alexander  for  a  charming  Pole 
whom  he  married  to  Prince  Narischkin,  is  known  to  all 
Europe.  I  saw  Madame  Narischkin,  when  very  young, 
at  the  Court  of  St.  Petersburg.  She  and  her  sister  arrived 
there  after  the  death  of  their  father,  who  Avas  killed  in  the 
last  war  with  Poland.  The  eldest  of  the  two  might  have 
been  sixteen  years  of  age.  They  were  quite  lovely  ;  they 
danced  with  the  most  perfect  grace,  and  soon  one  made 
the  conquest  of  Alexander,  and  the  other  that  of  Constan- 
tine.  Madame  Narischkin  was  the  most  regularly  beauti- 
ful ;  her  figure  was  fine  and  supple,  her  face  was  purely 
Greek,  which  made  her  extremely  remarkable  ;  but  she 
had  not  to  my  mind  the  exquisite  charm  of  the  Grand- 
Duchess  Elizabeth. 

At  this  period  the  Court  of  Russia  was  composed  of 
such  a  great  number  of  charming  women,  that  a  ball  at 
the  Empress's  was  a  beautiful  sight.  I  was  present  at  one 
that  she  gave.  The  Empress,  splendidly  dressed,  was 
seated  at  the  end  of  the  reception  room,  surrounded  by 
the  chief  persons  of  the  Court.  Near  her  stood  the  Grand- 
Duchess  Marie,  Paul,  Alexander,  who  were  superb,  and 
Constantine,  all  standing.  An  open  balustrade  separated 
them  from  the  dancers. 

The  dance  was  simply  a  polonaise^  which  I  took  part  in 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


with  the  young  Prince  Bariatinski,  so  as  to  make  a  tour  of 
the  ball-room,  after  which  I  seated  myself  on  a  raised 
form  so  as  to  have  a  better  view  of  the  dancers.  It  would 
be  impossible  to  mention  how  many  pretty  women  passed 
before  me  ;  but  the  beauty  of  the  Imperial  Family  sur- 
passed all  others.  The  four  Grand- Duchesses  were 
dressed  a  la  grecque,  with  tunics  that  fastened  on  the 
shoulders  with  large  diamond  buckles.  I  had  arranged 
the  toilette  of  the  Grand-Duchess  Elizabeth,  so  that  her 
costume  was  the  most  correct ;  Paul's  two  daughters, 
Helene  and  Alexandrine,  wore  veils  of  clear  blue  gauze 
spotted  with  silver,  which  had  a  fairy-like  appearance. 

The  magnificence  of  the  Empress's  surroundings,  the 
richness  of  the  room,  the  number  of  beautiful  persons,  the 
profusion  of  diamonds,  with  the  light  of  a  thousand  can- 
dles, had  a  magical  effect. 

A  few  days  after  this  ball,  I  went  to  a  dinner  party  at 
Court.  When  I  entered  the  dining-hall,  the  guests  were 
already  assembled  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  Empress. 
Large  folding  doors  were  thrown  open  and  she  appeared. 
I  have  said  that  she  was  short,  but  on  days  of  ceremony 
her  majestic  walk  and  eagle  glance  gave  her  the  appear- 
ance of  height,  and  to  me  she  seemed  the  queen  of  the 
world  ;  she  wore  the  grand  cordons  of  three  orders,  and 
her  costume  was  simple  and  noble  ;  it  consisted  of  a  mus- 
lin tunic,  embroidered  in  gold,  with  a  girdle  of  diamonds. 
Above  the  tunic  she  wore  a  crimson  velvet  dolman,  v/ith 
short  sleeves.  The  cap,  which  seemed  a  frame  to  her 
white  hair,  was  not  trimmed  with  ribbon,  but  with  dia- 
monds of  great  beauty. 


236 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


When  Her  Majesty  was  seated,  all  the  ladies  seated 
themselves,  and  each  placed  their  napkins  over  their 
knees.  The  Empress  fastened  hers  with  pins,  similar  to  a 
child.  She  soon  perceived  that  the  ladies  ate  nothing,  and 
said  to  them  :  "  Mesdames,  you  will  not  follow  my  ex- 
ample, you  only  make  a  pretence  of  eating.  For  myself, 
I  always  take  the  precaution  of  fastening  my  napkin  un- 
der my  chin,  for  otherwise  I  should  not  be  able  to  eat  an 
egg  without  throwing  it  all  over  my  collar." 

I  saw,  in  fact,  that  she  made  a  very  good  dinner.  A 
beautiful  selection  of  music  was  played  during  the  repast. 
The  musicians  were  placed  at  the  end  of  the  hall  under  a 
canopy.  I  love  to  hear  music  during  dinner,  and  the  only 
thing  that  has  ever  made  me  wish  to  be  a  very  great  lady, 
or  very  rich,  is  the  desire  to  hear  music  at  those  times.  I 
prefer  it  to  all  the  conversation  of  the  people  with  whom  one 
dines,  notwithstanding  as  the  Abbe  Delille  says  "  that  often 
morsels  gossiped  over,  cause  them  to  digest  much  better." 

Talking  of  dinners,  I  must  not  omit  to  say  that  the 
dullest  one  I  partook  of  at  St.  Petersburg,  took  place  at  the 
house  of  Zouboff's  sister,  to  whom  I  had  so  long  neglected 
to  present  my  letter  of  introduction.  Six  months  had 
passed  after  my  arrival  in  Russia,  when  I  met  her  one 
evening  on  leaving  the  theatre.  She  came  up  to  me  and 
said  in  a  most  amiable  manner,  that  she  was  always  ex- 
pecting to  receive  a  letter  that  had  been  given  to  me  for 
her.  Not  knowing  what  excuse  to  make,  I  replied  that  I 
had  lost  it ;  but  that  I  would  search  for  it  again,  and 
would  send  it  her  at  once.  She  invited  me  to  dine 
with  her,  and  having  accepted  her  invitation,  I  went  to 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  237 

her  house.  The  dinner  hour  at  St.  Petersburg  at  all 
houses  is  from  two  to  half -past  ;  my  daughter  accompanied 
me.  We  were  shown  into  a  gloomy  room,  without  my 
being  able  to  discover  any  signs  of  dinner.  One  o'clock, 
two  o'clock  passed,  still  nothing  appeared,  at  last  two 
servants  entered  and  arranged  some  card  tables,  and 
though  it  seemed  strange  that  people  should  eat  in  a  draw- 
ing-room, I  flattered  myself  we  should  soon  be  served  ;  but 
not  at  all,  the  servants  left  the  room,  and  shortly  after- 
wards, guests  arrived  and  at  once  sat  down  to  cards. 
Towards  six  o'clock,  my  poor  child  and  myself  became  so 
famished  that  on  looking  at  ourselves  in  the  glass  we  were 
really  pitiable  objects.  I  felt  as  though  I  was  dying,  and 
it  was  only  at  half-past  seven  that  dinner  was  announced  ; 
but  our  poor  stomachs  had  suffered  too  much,  it  was  im- 
possible to  eat.    I  learnt  afterwards  that  the  Comtesse 

D  was  intimately  acquainted  with  Lord  Wilford, 

and  dined  to  please  him  at  the  hour  they  dine  in  London. 
The  Comtesse  ought  to  have  told  me  this  ;  but  perhaps 
the  sister  of  the  favourite  felt  persuaded  that  all  the  world 
knew  the  hour  when  she  sat  down  to  table. 

In  general,  nothing  annoyed  me  more  than  dining  out  ; 
I  was  nevertheless,  sometimes  obliged  to  do  so,  above  all  in 
Russia,  as  I  should  have  given  much  offence  if  I  had  invari- 
ably refused.  The  greatest  magnificence  presided  at  these 
repasts  ;  the  cooks  were  nearly  always  French,  and  the  fare 
exquisite.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  before  dinner,  a  servant 
always  brought  in  a  tray  of  liqueurs,  and  slices  of  thin 
bread  and  butter.  No  one  takes  liqueur  after  dinner  ;  but 
always  excellent  Malaga. 


238  SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 

It  is  the  custom  that  noble  ladies,  even  in  their  own 
houses,  go  in  to  table  before  the  guests  they  have  invited, 
so  that  frequently  the  Princesse  Dolgorouki  and  others 
would  take  my  arm  in  order  to  make  me  go  in  with  them  ; 
for  it  is  impossible  to  be  more  polite  than  Russian  ladies. 
I  may  almost  go  so  far  as  to  say  they  are  devoid  of  that 
pride  whicli  is  the  reproach  of  so  many  of  our  French 
ladies. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


The  Cold  at  St.  Petersburg — The  Russian  People — Gentleness  of  their 
Manners — Their  Probity  and  Intelligence — Comte  Golovin — The 
Melting  of  the  Ice  on  the  Neva — Salons  of  St.  Petersburg — The 
Theatre — Madame  Hus  —  Mandini  —  Comtesse  Strogonoff  —  Prin- 
cesse  Dolgo  Kourakin. 

F  one  stayed  in  doors  all  day,  no  one  would 
know  that  winter  had  arrived,  to  such  a  per- 
fection have  the  Russians  carried  the  art  of  heat- 
ing their  apartments.  From  the  hall  door,  every  part  is  heat- 
ed by  the  most  excellent  stoves,  so  that  the  open  fires  kept 
up  are  merely  a  luxury.  The  staircases  and  the  corridors 
are  of  the  same  temperature  as  the  rooms,  where  the  doors 
remain  open  as  in  summer.  It  is  said  that  when  the 
Emperor  Paul,  then  Grand-Duke,  visited  France,  under 
the  name  of  the  Prince  du  Nord,  he  said  to  the  Parisians : 
"  At  St.  Petersburg  we  see  the  cold,  but  here  we  feel  it." 
Also,  when  I  had  passed  seven  years  in  Russia  and  had 
returned  to  Paris,  where  I  found  the  Princesse  Dolgorouki, 
I  recollect  one  day  we  felt  so  dreadfully  cold  sitting  close 
to  a  fire,  that  we  said  :  "  We  must  go  and  spend  a  winter 
in  Russia  to  get  warm." 

In  going  into  the  open  air  so  many  precautions  are 
taken,  that  even  strangers  scarcely  feel  the  severity  of  the 

239 


240 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


climate.  Every  one  wears  in  their  carriages  large  velvet 
boots,  lined  with  fur,  and  cloaks  also  thickly  wadded  and 
made  of  fur.  At  seventeen  degrees  Reaumur,  the  the- 
atres are  closed,  and  everyone  remains  at  home.  I  was, 
I  believe,  the  only  one,  perhaps,  who,  not  understanding 
the  danger,  went  one  day,  when  the  thermometer  stood 
at  eighteen  degrees,  to  call  on  the  Comtesse  Golovin.  She 
lived  at  some  little  distance  from  me,  in  the  fine  street, 
the  Nevski  Prospect,  and  from  my  house  till  I  reached 
hers,  I  did  not  meet  a  single  carriage,  which  greatly  sur- 
prised me.  The  cold  was  such  that  at  first  I  thought  the 
carriage  windows  must  be  open.  When  the  Comtesse  saw 
me  enter  her  saloii^  she  exclaimed  :  Mon  Dieu !  how 
could  you  have  come  out  on  such  an  evening  ?  do  you  not 
know  that  the  thermometer  is  nearly  twenty  degrees  ? " 
At  these  words  I  thought  of  my  poor  coachman,  and  with- 
out taking  off  my  pelisse,  I  ran  away  from  the  Comtesse 
and  quickly  returned  to  my  own  house.  But  my  head  had 
been  seized  by  the  cold  to  such  a  degree  that  I  was  quite 
giddy.  They  rubbed  me  with  Eau  de  Cologne  to  warm 
me,  otherwise  I  should  have  gone  mad. 

One  most  surprising  circumstance  is  the  very  slight  im- 
pression the  rigorous  temperature  has  on  the  lower 
classes.  Far  from  their  health  suffering,  I  find  it  is  in 
Russia  that  the  greater  number  of  centenarians  exist.  At 
St.  Petersburg,  as  at  Moscow,  the  great  nobles  and  all  the 
notables  of  the  empire  travel  with  from  six  to  eight  horses  ; 
their  postillions  are  small  boys  between  eight  and  ten  years 
of  age,  who  guide  them  with  an  address  and  dexterity  really 
remarkable.    Two  of  these  boys  are  employed  for  eight 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


241 


horses,  and  it  is  very  curious  to  see  these  Httle  urchins 
dressed  very  Hghtly,  and  sometimes  with  their  shirts  open 
on  their  chests,  remain  gaily  exposed  to  a  cold  that  would 
certainly  kill  a  French  or  Prussian  Grenadier.  I  contented 
myself  with  two  horses  to  my  carriage,  and  was  often  as- 
tonished at  the  gentleness  and  resignation  of  the  coach- 
man ;  never  did  I  hear  a  word  of  complaint.  In  the  most 
severe  weather,  when  these  men  have  to  wait  for  their 
masters  at  the  theatre  or  the  ball,  they  remain  there  with- 
out moving,  only  you  see  them  sometimes,  beating  their 
hands  and  feet  to  warm  them,  whilst  the  little  postillions 
stretch  themselves  at  the  bottom  of  the  staircase.  I  must, 
however,  say  that  the  coachmen  are  all  provided  with  warm 
gloves  and  coats,  and  when  the  cold  exceeds  a  certain  de- 
gree, if  any  noble  wishes  to  give  a  ball  or  reception,  he 
distributes  among  the  men  strong  drinks,  and  wood  for 
bivouac  fires  in  the  courts  and  the  street. 

The  Russian  people  are  as  a  rule  ugly  ;  but  they  have 
a  straightforward  honest  bearing,  and  are  the  best  people 
in  the  world.  You  never  meet  a  drunken  man,  though 
their  habitual  drink  is  the  strongest  brandy.  The  greater 
number  of  the'  Russians  live  on  potatoes  and  garlic  mixed 
with  oil,  and  they  smell  of  it,  notwithstanding  that  they 
bathe  every  Saturday.  This  poor  food  does  not  prevent 
them  singing  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  whilst  working  or 
rowing  their  boats. 

The  Russians  are  skilful  and  intelHgent,  for  they  learn 
all  sorts  of  handicraft  with  amazing  facility  ;  many  even 
obtain  success  in  the  arts.  One  day  at  the  Comte  Strogo- 
noff 's  I  met  a  young  man,  his  architect,  who  had  once  been 


242 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


his  sert  ;  this  man  had  shown  so  much  talent  that  the  Comte 
presented  him  to  the  Emperor  Paul,  who  made  him  one 
of  his  architects,  and  ordered  him  to  build  a  theatre  from 
the  plans  he  had  made  and  submitted  to  him.  I  did  not 
see  the  theatre  finished,  but  I  am  told  it  was  very  fine. 

The  domestics  are  remarkable  for  their  intelHgence.  I 
had  one  who  did  not  know  a  word  of  French,  and  I  did 
not  know  a  word  of  Russian  ;  but  we  understood  each 
other  perfectly  without  the  help  of  speech.  I  could  ask 
for  anything  by  raising  my  hand,  and  he  was  never  at  a 
loss,  and  served  me  admirably.  Another  precious  quality 
that  I  discovered  in  him,  was  a  thoroughly  conscientious 
fidelity  ;  I  was  frequently  paid  for  my  pictures  in  bank 
notes,  and  when  I  was  occupied  in  painting,  I  would  place 
them  by  me  on  the  table.  On  leaving  my  work,  I  con- 
stantly forgot  to  take  them  away,  and  they  remained  often 
three  or  four  days  there,  without  my  losing  one.  His 
sobriety  was  wonderful,  I  never  on  any  occasion  saw  him 
intoxicated.  This  good  servant  was  called  Peter  ;  he  wept 
when  I  left  St.  Petersburg,  and  I  have  always  regretted  him. 
The  Russian  people  are  in  general  very  honest  and  gentle. 
At  St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow,  I  never  heard  of  a  great 
crime,  or  even  of  a  theft.  This  honest  and  peaceful  con- 
duct is  surprising  in  men  who  are  still  not  far  from  being 
barbarians,  and  many  people  attribute  it  to  the  state  of 
serfdom  which  exists  in  Russia  ;  for  my  own  part  I  attri- 
bute their  honesty  and  other  good  qualities  to  their  being  ex- 
tremely religious.  Shortly  after  my  arrival  in  St.  Petersburg 
I  went  to  visit  the  daughter-in-law  of  my  old  friend,  the 
Comte  Strogonoff.    Her  house  at  Kaminostroff  was  situ- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


243 


ated  to  the  right  of  the  great  road  which  borders  the  Neva. 
I  left  my  carriage  at  a  Httle  wicker  gate  which  opened  on 
to  the  garden,  through  which  I  passed  to  reach  the  draw- 
ing-room on  the  ground  floor,  the  door  of  which  I  found 
wide  open.  It  was  very  easy  therefore  to  enter  the  house 
of  the  Comtesse  Strogonoff  ;  so  when  I  found  her  in  a 
small  boudoir  and  she  showed  me  her  own  apartments,  I 
was  surprised  to  see  all  her  diamonds  lying  exposed  on  a 
table;  close  to  the  window  which  opened  on  to  the  garden, 
and  was  consequently  close  to  the  high  road.  This  ap- 
peared all  the  more  imprudent,  because  the  Russian  ladies 
are  in  the  habit  of  spreading  their  diamonds  and  other 
jewellery  under  glass  cases,  as  it  is  seen  in  jeweller's  shops. 
"  Madame,"  I  said,  "  are  you  not  afraid  of  being  robbed  ? " 
"No,"  she  replied,  "here  are  my  best  police,"  and  she 
pointed  out,  placed  above  the  jewellery,  several  images  of 
the  Virgin,  and  Saint  Nicholas,  the  patron  saint  of  Russia, 
before  which  burnt  a  lamp.  It  is  a  fact,  that  during  the 
seven  years  I  passed  in  Russia,  I  have  always  noticed  that 
on  all  occasions  the  image  of  the  Virgin,  or  of  a  saint,  and 
the  presence  of  a  child,  has  always  been  held  sacred  by  a 
Russian. 

The  lower  class,  in  addressing  you,  invariably  call  you 
according  to  your  age,  as  "  mother,  father,  brother,  or 
sister,"  and  this  does  not  even  except  the  Emperor  or 
Empress,  and  all  the  Imperial  family. 

Among  the  middle  class  of  Russians,  many  are  very 
well  off.  The  merchants'  wives  for  example  spend  a 
great  deal  on  their  toilette,  without  its  appearing  to  cause 
any  stint  in  their  households.    Many  of  the  farmers  also 


244 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


are  very  rich.  I  recollect  that  one  day  on  arriving  for 
dinner  at  the  Comte  Golovin's,  I  found  in  the  salon  a  tall, 
stout  man,  who  had  all  the  appearance  of  a  well-to-do 
peasant.  When  dinner  was  announced,  I  saw  this  man 
sit  down  with  us,  which  struck  me  as  being  so  extraordi- 
nary, that  I  asked  the  Comtesse  in  a  low  voice  who  he  was. 
"  He  is  my  husband's  farmer,"  she  said,  "  who  has  come 
to  lend  him  sixty  thousand  roubles,  so  that  we  may  settle 
some  of  our  debts  ;  the  kindness  of  this  good  farmer  is 
decidedly  worthy  of  the  dinner  we  give  him."  Nothing 
was  more  natural,  in  fact  ;  but  that  which  ought  to  have 
appeared  less  so,  was  that  the  Comte  Golovin,  with  the 
large  fortune  he  had  inherited,  should  be  in  need  of  funds 
and  obliged  to  borrow  from  his  own  farmer ;  but  I  had 
already  observed  how  extravagantly  Russian  nobles  spend 
their  money  ;  to  say  truth,  they  are  infinitely  more  magnifi- 
cent than  the  French.  The  consequence  of  this  extra- 
ordinary luxury  (to  which  our  own  cannot  be  at  all  com- 
pared) is,  that  if  you  wish  to  be  paid,  you  must  apply  to 
them  just  before  the  ist  of  January  and  the  ist  of  July, 
the  time  when  they  receive  their  rents  ;  otherwise  you 
run  the  risk  of  finding  them  without  money.  As  long  as 
I  was  in  ignorance  of  this  custom,  I  often  had  to  wait 
for  the  payment  of  the  portraits  I  had  made.  Comte 
Golovin  was  one  of  the  best  creatures  in  the  world,  but 
he  had  no  management.  The  Comtesse  Golovin  was  a 
charming  woman,  full  of  wit  and  talent.  She  drew  very 
v/ell,  and  composed  pretty  songs,  which  she  sang  accom- 
panying herself  at  the  piano.  Besides  all  this,  she  was 
au  courant  of  all  the  literary  news  of  Europe,  which  I  be- 


MADAME  LE  ERUN. 


245 


lieve  was  Known  to  her  before  it  even  reached  Paris. 
Her  most  intimate  friend,  the  Comtesse  Tolstoi,  was  both 
beautiful  and  good,  but  was  much  less  animated  than  the 
Comtesse  Golovin ;  and  perhaps  the  contrast  in  their 
characters  had  formed  and  cemented  their  intimacy. 

When  the  month  of  May  arrives  at  St.  Petersburg,  one 
hears  nothing  of  spring  flowers,  or  the  song  of  the  nightin- 
gale, so  much  vaunted  by  poets.  The  ground  is  covered 
with  melting  snow;  the  Neva  is  filled  with  enormous 
rocks  of  ice  heaped  on  each  other,  and  these  icebergs 
bring  back  the  cold  which  begins  to  lessen  after  the 
melting  of  the  Neva.  The  breaking  up  of  the  ice  on  this 
river  may  be  called  a  beautiful  but  horrible  sight ;  the 
noise  of  it  is  frightful ;  for  near  the  Bourse,  the  Neva  is 
three  times  the  width  of  the  Seine  at  the  Pont-Royal ; 
the  effect  produced  by  this  sea  of  ice  breaking  up  in  all 
parts  may  therefore  be  imagined.  In  spite  of  the  soldiers 
on  guard  that  are  stationed  the  whole  length  of  the  quays 
to  prevent  people  from  jumping  from  block  to  block,  the 
rash  ones  would  constantly  venture  on  the'  moving  ice  to 
gain  the  opposite  bank.  Before  undertaking  this  danger- 
ous crossing,  they  make  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  spring 
on  to  the  ice,  being  quite  convinced  that  if  they  perished 
they  were  fated  to  do  so.  During  the  breaking  up  of  the 
ice,  the  first  who  crosses  the  Neva  in  a  boat  presents  a 
silver  cup  to  the  Emperor,  who  returns  it  to  him  filled 
with  gold. 

The  windows  of  the  houses  at  this  period  still  remain 
hermetically  closed,  for  Russia  has  no  spring,  but  vegeta- 
tion hastens  to  regain  lost  time.    You  may  almost  say  you 


246 


SOUVEXir.S  OF 


see  the  leaves  growing.  I  went  one  day  with  my  daughter 
to  walk  in  the  summer  garden,  it  was  in  the  month  of  May  ; 
and  wishing  to  assure  myself  that  all  that  had  been  said 
of  the  rapidity  of  the  vegetation  was  true,  we  particularly 
remarked  the  arbutus  leaves  which  were  still  in  bud.  We 
made  one  tour  of  the  garden,  then  having  returned  to  the 
place  we  had  left,  we  found  the  buds  open  and  the  leaves 
entirely  spread. 

The  Russians  make  the  best  of  their  severe  climate, 
and  during  the  period  of  the  greatest  cold,  have  sledging 
parties,  sometimes  by  day,  and  sometimes  at  night  with 
torches. 

One  of  the  finest  ceremonies  that  it  is  possible  to  wit- 
ness, is  the  benediction  of  the  Neva.  It  takes  place  every 
year,  and  the  Archimandrite  gives  the  benediction  in  the 
presence  of  the  Emperor,  the  Imperial  Family,  and  all  the 
great  dignitaries  of  the  State.  As  at  this  period  the  ice  on 
the  Neva  is  at  the  least  three  feet  thick,  a  large  hole  is  dug 
in  it,  out  of  which  after  the  ceremony  is  over,  every  one 
stoops  to  touch  the  Holy  Water.  Frequently  you  see 
women  dip  their  young  children  into  this  icy  bath  ;  some- 
times these  unhappy  women  let  these  poor  little  victims  of 
superstition  slip  into  the  water  ;  but  then,  instead  of  weep- 
ing the  loss  of  their  child,  the  mother  congratulates  her- 
self on  the  happiness  of  the  angel  who  has  gone  to  pray 
for  her.  The  Emperor  is  obliged  to  drink  the  first  glass 
of  water,  which  the  Archimandrite  presents  to  him. 

I  have  already  said  that  in  order  to  judge  of  the  cold 
at  St.  Petersburg,  one  must  go  into  the  streets.  The 
Russians  are  not  content  with  giving  their  apartments  the 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


247 


temperature  of  spring,  but  their  windows  are  crowded 
with  the  loveliest  flowers,  which  we  only  see  in  the  month 
of  May.  In  winter  the  apartments  are  lighted  in  the 
most  profuse  manner.  They  are  perfumed  with  warm 
vinegar,  into  which  is  thrown  branches  of  mint,  which 
gives  a  very  agreeable  and  wholesome  odour.  All  the 
rooms  are  surrounded  by  long  and  large  divans,  on  which 
both  men  and  women  establish  themselves.  I  became  so 
accustomed  to  this  manner  of  sitting,  that  I  could  not 
feel  comfortable  on  a  chair. 

The  Russian  ladies  bow  their  heads  in  salutation,  which 
appears  to  me  much  more  graceful  than  our  curtseys. 
They  do  not  ring  for  their  servants,  but  call  them  by  clap- 
ping their  hands  together,  as  the  Sultanas  are  said  to  do 
in  the  seraglios.  Every  Russian  lady  has  a  man  in  livery, 
who  remains  always  at  the  door  to  open  it  to  visitors.  But 
what  appeared  most  strange  to  me,  was  that  some  of  the 
ladies  had  a  female  slave  to  sleep  under  their  beds. 

Every  evening  I  went  out.  Not  only  the  balls,  con- 
.  certs,  theatres,  were  frequent,  but  I  delighted  in  the  even- 
ing parties,  where  I  found  all  the  urbanity  and  grace  of 
French  society  ;  for  to  use  an  expression  of  the  Princesse 
Dolgorouki,  it  appeared  as  though  good  taste  had  bounded 
from  Paris  to  St.  Petersburg.  The  houses  regularly  open 
to  visitors  were  numerous,  and  in  all  of  them  I  was  re- 
ceived in  the  most  amiable  manner.  People  met  about 
eight  o'clock,  and  supper  was  at  ten.  In  the  interval  I 
had  tea ;  but  the  tea  in  Russia  is  so  excellent  that,  though 
I  could  not  drink  it  myself,  I  was  scented  with  its  per- 
fume. 


248 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


Two  houses  extremely  sought,  were  those  of  the  Prin- 
cesse  Michael  Galitzin,  who  had  frequently  visited  Paris, 
where  she  married  one  of  her  daughters  to  a  Frenchman, 
M.  le  Comte  de  Caumont,  and  the  Princesse  Dolgorouki ; 
there  existed  a  sort  of  rivalry  between  these  ladies  relative 
to  their  soirees.  The  first,  less  beautiful  than  the  Princesse 
Dolgorouki,  was  prettier.  She  was  very  witty,  but  fantas- 
tic to  excess.  She  would  look  annoyed  with  you  all  at 
once,  £md  without  cause,  then  a  moment  afterwards  would 
say  the  most  amiable  and  flattering  things.  The  Comte 
de  Choiseul-Gouffier  was  so  madly  in  love  with  her,  that 
her  caprices  and  eccentric  humour  only  seemed  to  aug- 
ment his  passion.  It  was  curious  to  witness  the  bow 
down  to  the  ground  with  which  he  greeted  the  Princesse, 
whenever  they  met  ;  this  was  at  that  time  the  mark  of  re- 
spect shown  to  any  lady,  whom  the  gentleman  did  not 
wish  to  compromise. 

The  suppers  at  the  Princesse  Dolgorouki 's  were  charm- 
ing ;  one  met  there  the  corps  diplomatique,  and  all  the 
most  distinguished  foreigners  ;  everyone  in  fact  delighted 
to  go  there,  the  mistress  of  the  house  was  so  amiable.  She 
always  kept  me  a  seat  in  her  box  at  the  theatre. 

No  woman,  I  believe,  had  ever  more  dignity  in  her  per- 
son and  manners  than  the  Princesse  Dolgorouki ;  as  she 
had  seen  my  "  Sybil,"  which  she  greatly  praised,  she 
begged  me  to  take  her  portrait  in  that  character,  and  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  giving  her  entire  satisfaction.  When 
the  portrait  was  completed,  she  sent  me  a  very  handsome 
carriage,  and  put  on  my  arm  a  bracelet,  made  of  a  tress  of 
hair,  on  which  diamonds  were  arranged  in  such  a  manner 


that  one  read  :  Ornez  celle  qui  orne  son  siecle.  I  was  ex- 
tremely touched  at  the  grace  and  delicacy  of  such  a 
present. 

I  frequently  met  Comte  Strogonoff,  with  his  son  and 
daughter-in-law.  She  was  young,  pretty,  and  clever.  Her 
husband,  who  at  the  most  was  twenty-five  years  of  age, 
was  a  delightful  man.  An  actress  from  Paris  turned  his 
head.  The  Comtesse  perceived  his  infidelity,  and  as  she 
loved  him  much  she  suffered  greatly,  but  never  spoke  on 
the  subject  to  him.  The  young  Comte  kept  this  actress, 
Mademoiselle  Lachassaigne,  in  the  greatest  luxury;  she 
had  a  child,  and  he  at  once  gave  her  a  pension  of  six 
thousand  roubles.  During  the  war  with  France  he  was 
killed  ;  but  the  young  Comtesse  still  continued  the  pension 
to  the  actress.  This  action  appears  to  me  so  noble  and 
good  that  further  eulogium  would  be  unnecessary. 

The  good  kind  Princesse  Kourakin  did  not  entertain 
much  ;  but  one  met  her  every  evening  in  society,  princi- 
pally at  the  house  of  the  Princesse  Dolgorouki,  where  it 
was  a  happiness  to  meet  her.  It  was  impossible  to  see  her 
twice  without  loving  her.  Her  genial  nature  and  goodness 
of  disposition  were  -such,  that  I  used  to  call  her  a  child  of 
seven  years  ;  she  charmed  everyone,  and  gained  all 
hearts  ;  I  do  not  wish  anyone  to  imagine  that  the  tender 
friendship  I  felt  for  her  caused  me  to  exaggerate  by  flat- 
tery her  memory.  Princesse  Kourakin  came  to ,  Paris, 
v/here  she  remained  a  long  while  ;  Madame  de  Bawr,  M. 
de  Sabran,  M.  Briffaut  knew  her  and  were  her  friends  ; 
they  could  say  if  my  sorrow  for  her  loss  blinded  me,  and 
if  society  did  not  lose  in  her  one  of  its  brightest  ornaments. 
11^ 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


The  Lake  of  Pergola — Island  of  Krestowski — My  letter  to  Clery, 
valet  to  Louis  XVI. — His  Answer — I  paint  a  portrait  of  Marie 
Antoinette  for  the  Duchesse  d'Angouleme. 

GREAT  delight  it  was  to  me,  when  after  hav- 
ing for  months  inhaled  the  icy  air  out  of  doors 
or  that  heated  from  within  by  stoves,  I  at  last 
saw  the  spring  arrive.  Walking  became  a  pleasure,  and  I 
hastened  to  visit  the  lovely  environs  of  St.  Petersburg.  I 
often  went  to  the  Lake  of  Pergola  with  my  faithful  Russian 
servant,  to  take  what  I  called  a  fresh  air  bath. 

I  amused  myself  with  contemplating  its  pure  and  limpid 
waters  which  reflected  like  a  mirror  the  surrounding  trees. 
My  good  Peter  prepared  my  little  dinner  meanwhile,  or 
else  gathered  a  bouquet  of  wild  flowers  which  he  after- 
wards presented  to  me  ;  I  involuntarily  thought  of  Robin- 
son Crusoe  and  his  man  Friday. 

The  heat  being  excessive,  I  often  walked  very  early 
with  my  daughter  on  the  Island  of  Krestowski.  The  heat 
at  St.  Petersburg  is  often  very  intense.  I  remember  once 
during  the  month  of  July,  I  forget  in  what  year,  finding 
the  Princesse  Bariatinski  seated  in  her  cellar  with  her  lady 
companion,  who  was  on  one  of  the  lowest  steps  reading 
aloud.    But  to  return  to  the  Island  of  Krestowski,  as  we 

250 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


251 


were  boating  we  met  numbers  of  men  and  women  bathing 
promiscuously.  We  even  saw  in  the  distance  some  nude 
young  men  on  horseback,  who  were  thus  bathing  both 
themselves  and  their  horses.  In  any  other  country  such 
indecent  behaviour  would  not  have  been  permitted  ;  but  it 
is  not  the  same  in  one  where  perfect  innocence  reigns. 
None  thought  of  evil,  for  the  Russians  are  really  most  in- 
genuous. In  their  families,  during  the  winter,  the  hus- 
band, wife,  and  children  all  sleep  together  round  their 
stove,  and  if  that  is  not  large  enough  they  lie  stretched  out 
on  benches,  covered  only  by  their  sheep-skins.  They 
have  preserved  the  customs  of  the  ancient  Patriarchs. 

During  one  summer  I  hired  a  small  house  on  the  banks 
of  the  Neva  ;  the  following  one  young  Count  Strogonoff 
lent  me  a  charming  house  at  Kaminostroff,  where  I  enjoyed 
myself  immensely.  Every  morning  I  walked  in  the  neigh- 
bouring forest  and  spent  my  evenings  with  the  Comtesse 
Golovin,  who  was  living  near.  I  met  the  young  Prince 
Bariatinski,  Princesse  Tarente,  and  many  other  amiable 
people  at  her  house.  We  talked  or  read  aloud  till  supper  ; 
in  fact,  my  time  passed  most  agreeably. 

The  peace  and  happiness  I  enjoyed  did  not  prevent  my 
thinking  very  often  of  France  and  her  troubles.  I  was 
always  pursued  by  the  thought  of  Louis  XVI.  and  Marie 
Antoinette,  so  that  my  greatest  desire  was  to  execute  a 
painting  representing  them  in  one  of  the  solemn  and 
touching  moments  which  preceded  their  death.  I  have 
already  stated  that  I  had  studiously  avoided  any  knowl- 
edge of  the  details  which  led  to  their  sad  fate,  but  after- 
wards I  had  to  hear  them  to  create  any  interest  thereby. 


252 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


I  knew  that  Clery  had  taken  refuge  in  Vienna,  after  the 
death  of  his  illustrious  master  ;  I  wrote  and  informed  him 
of  my  intentions,  begging  him  to  help  me  in  carrying  them 
out.  Shortly  after  I  received  the  following  letter*  which 
I  have  always  preserved,  and  copy  word  for  word  here  : 

"  Madame, 

The  great  knowledge  you  possess  of  the  personages 
composing  the  august  family  of  Louis  XVI.  made  me  say 
to  Madame  la  Comtesse  de  Rombeck,  that  none  but  you 
could  depict  the  heartbreaking  scenes  borne  by  this  un- 
happy family  in  the  course  of  its  captivity.  Such  inter- 
esting details  deserve  to  descend  to  posterity,  and  the 
brush  of  Madame  Le  Brun  can  alone  reproduce  them 
faithfully, 

"  Amongst  these  painful  scenes,  six  might  be  taken  for 
paintings  : 

I  St.  Louis  XVL  in  prison,  surrounded  by  his  family, 
giving  lessons  in  geography  and  reading  to  his  children  ; 
the  Queen  and  Madame  Elizabeth  meanwhile  are  employed 
in  sewing  and  mending  their  clothes. 

"  2nd.  The  separation  of  the  King  and  his  son  on  the 
iith  of  December. 

"  3rd.  Louis  XVI.  being  interrogated  in  the  tower  by 
four  members  of  the  Convention,  and  surrounded  by  his 
counsel :  MM.  de  Malesherbes,  de  Seze,  and  Tronchet. 

''4th.    The  executive  counsel  informing  the  King  of 


*  M.  J.  Tripier  le  Franc  is  now  possessor  of  this  very  precious 
document. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  *  253 

his  sentence  to  death,  Gronvelle  reading  aloud  the  sen- 
tence. 

"  5  th.  The  King  saying  farewell  to  his  family,  the  eve 
of  his  death, 

"  6th.  His  departure  from  the  tower  to  the  place  of 
torture. 

"  The  one  of  these  scenes  which  most  affects  people  is 
the  parting.  An  engraving  was  made  on  this  subject  in 
England  ;  but  it  is  not  at  all  truthful,  either  in  the  resem- 
blances to  the  people  or  in  the  locality. 

"  I  shall  endeavour,  Madame,  to  give  you  the  necessary 
details  so  that  you  may  be  able  to  sketch  this  picture. 
The  room  where  this  scene  passed  might  be  fifteen  feet 
square.  The  walls  are  covered  with  paper  representing 
square  stones,  which  are  most  suitable  for  a  prison.  On 
the  right,  near  the  entrance-door  is  a  large  window,  and  as 
the  walls  of  the  tower  are  nine  feet  thick,  the  window  is  in 
a  recess  of  about  eight  feet  long,  which  diminishes  towards 
the  end,  where  there  are  some  thick  iron  bars.  In  the  rear 
of  this  window  is  a  china  stove  two  feet  and  a  half  broad 
and  about  three  feet  high  ;  the  tube  passes  under  the  win- 
dow and  is  fixed  to  the  left  part  of  the  recess  near  the 
commencement.  From  the  window  to  the  front  wall  is 
about  eight  feet.  On  this  wall  and  near  the  stove  is  a 
swinging  lamp  which  lit  up  the  whole  room,  for  the  scene 
passed  at  night,  that  is  at  ten  in  the  evening.  The  front 
wall  might  be  fifteen  feet  wide  ;  a  folding  door  divided  it 
placed  more  to  the  left  than  to  the  right.  This  door  was 
painted  gray  ;  one  of  the  sides  ought  to  be  left  open  to  al- 
low of  the  interior  of  the  bed-room  being  seen.    The  left 


254 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


portion  of  the  room  has  a  glass  partition  with  gl^iss  doors 
either  side  ;  behind  this  partition  is  a  small  room  where 
they  all  dined.  It  is  in  this  room  that  the  King  sat  sur- 
rounded by  his  family  and  told  them  of  his  last  wishes. 
It  was  on  leaving  this  little  dining-room  that  the  King  ad- 
vanced towards  the  entrance  door  as  though  to  lead  them 
away,  and  thus  ought  this  scene  to  be  taken  ;  it  was  at  the 
same  time  the  most  painful  moment  for  all  of  them. 

The  King  was  standing,  holding  the  Queen  by  the 
right  hand,  who  could  barely  keep  upright ;  she  leaned  on 
his  right  shoulder,  the  Dauphin  was  on  the  same  side  en- 
twined in  the  arm  of  the  Queen,  who  pressed  him  to  her  side; 
he  held  with  his  little  hands  the  left  one  of  the  Queen, 
and  the  King's  right  hand,  kissing  them  and  bathing  them 
with  tears.  Madame  Elisabeth  is  on  the  King's  left,  hold- 
ing in  her  two  hands  the  upper  part  of  the  King's  arm, 
lifting  her  eyes,  filled  with  tears,  to  the  skies.  Madame 
Royale  is  in  front  holding  the  left  hand  of  the  King,  and 
making  the  room  resound  with  her  mournful  wails.  The 
King,  always  calm,  always  stately,  never  shed  a  tear,  but 
he  seemed  to  be  cruelly  affected  by  the  sad  condition  of 
his  family.  He  said  to  them  in  his  softest  tones,  but  full 
of  touching  expressions :  *  I  do  not  bid  you  good-bye,  rest 
assured  I  will  see  you  again  to-morrow  morning  at  seven 
o'clock.'  *  You  promise,*  said  the  Queen,  half  audibly. 
*  Yes,  I  promise,'  replied  the  King;  'adieu.'  At  this  mo- 
ment the  sobs  redoubled,  Madame  Royale  fell  fainting  at 
the  King's  feet,  which  she  held  in  a  firm  embrace. 
Madame  Elisabeth  tried  to  support  her.  The  King  made 
a  violent  effort,  and  tearing  himself  from  their  arms,  re- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


turned  to  his  room.  As  I  was  near  Madame  Elisabeth,  I 
helped  this  Princess  to  support  Madame  Royale  for  a  few 
steps  ;  but  I  was  not  permitted  to  go  any  farther,  and  I 
went  back  to  the  King.  During  this  scene,  four  municipal 
officers,  of  whom  two  were  very  badly  dressed,  with  their 
hats  on,  stood  in  the  window  recess,  warming  themselves 
by  the  stove  without  any  apparent  emotion.  They  were 
decorated  with  a  tricolour  riband  and  a  cocade  in  the 
middle. 

"  The  King  was  dressed  in  a  brown  coat  with  a  collar, 
a  white  pique  vest,  grey  casimir  trowsers  and  grey  silk 
stockings  with  gold  buckles,  very  plain  ones  on  his  shoes, 
a  muslin  collar,  the  hair  rather  powdered,  a  few  stray  locks, 
the  back  hair  tied  together  en  catogan. 

"The  Queen,  Madame  Royale,  and  Madame  EHsabeth, 
were  dressed  in  white  muslin  with  very  simple  linen  fichus 
and  caps  of  the  same  material  in  the  shape  called  baigneu- 
seSy  edged  with  a  little  lace,  an  handkerchief  trimmed  also 
with  a  little  lace,  tied  above  the  cap  in  a  three  cornered 
shape. 

"  The  young  prince  wore  a  greenish  grey  casimir,  a 
culotte  or  trowser  of  the  same,  a  small  white  waistcoat, 
the  coat  made  low  and  turned  back  ;  the  shirt  collar  plain 
and  falling  over  that  of  the  coat,  the  frill  being  of  plaited 
linen  ;  black  shoes  fastened  with  black  ribbons  ;  blonde 
hair  without  powder,  falling  carelessly  on  the  shoulders,  in 
curls  on  the  forehead,  drawn  back  in  a  plait  behind,  the 
front  hair  being  allowed  to  fall  where  it  willed. 

The  Queen's  hair  was  nearly  white,  that  of  Madame  of 
a  lovely  blond,  Madame  Elisabeth's,  blond  also,  but  a 


256 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


shade  darker.  There,  Madame,  are  nearly  all  the  details  I 
can  give  you  on  the  subject  ;  if  they  do  not  suffice,  deign 
to  ask  me  what  other  questions  you  like  and  I  will  en- 
deavour to  reply  to  them.  I  only  ask  of  you  one  thing, 
which  is,  that  these  details  may  remain  private.  As  I  have 
notes  where  all  these  facts  are  written  down,  I  should  not 
wish  them  to  be  known  before  they  are  printed.  I  hope 
some  day  you  will  come  and  inhabit  this  town,  and  if  you 
care  to  make  more  paintings  on  these  sad  subjects,  I  shall 
be  happy  to  make  myself  agreeable  in  any  way.  I  pray 
you  to  accept  Madame  my  respectful  homages. 
"  Your  very  humble  and  obedient  servant, 

"  Clery. 

"Vienna,  27th  of  October,  1796." 

This  letter*  made  such  a  painful  impression  on  me,  that 
I  felt  it  to  be  impossible  to  undertake  a  work,  when  each 
stroke  of  the  brush  would  have  made  me  burst  into  tears. 
I  therefore  renounced  my  intentions  ;  but  had  the  happi- 
ness, during  my  sojourn  in  Russia,  of  retracing  once  more 
the  august  and  beloved  features  of  her  I  knew  so  well  ;  it 
was  on  this  occasion. 

The  Comte  de  Cosse  arrived  at  St.  Petersburg  from 
Mittau,  where  he  had  left  the  Royal  Family.  He  paid  me 
a  visit  and  begged  me  to  go  and  see  the  Princes  who  he 


*  The  notes  of  which  Clery  speaks  in  his  letter,  were  published  by 
him  under  the  title  of  :  "  Journal  de  ce  qui  s'est  passe  dans  la  Tour 
du  Temple  pendant  la  Captivite  de  Louis  XVI. ;  "  this  pamphlet  ap- 
peared in  London  for  the  first  time  in  1798.  Cleiy  was  born  at  Ver- 
sailles and  in  1809  died  at  Itzig,  in  Austria. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN,  257 

said  would  receive  me  with  pleasure.  I  felt  very  grieved 
at  the  time  to  be  unable  to  do  so,  but  my  daughter  being 
ill  I  could  not  leave  her,  and  besides  I  had  other  engage- 
ments to  fulfil,  not  only  with  people  of  note  but  with  the 
Imperial  Family,  for  several  portraits,  which  would  not 
permit  of  my  leaving  St.  Petersburg  for  some  time.  I  ex- 
plained all  my  perplexities  to  M.  de  Cosse,  and  as  he  did 
not  leave  at  once  to  return,  I  made  from  memory  the 
Queen's  portrait,  which  I  begged  him  to  transmit  to 
Madame  la  Duchesse  d'Angoulefne,  until  I  could  go  my- 
self and  receive  the  orders  of  Her  Royal  Highness. 

This  gift  procured  for  me  the  pleasure  of  receiving  from 
Madame  the  following  letter,  which  I  preserve  as  a  token 
of  her  satisfaction. 

"  Mittau,  15th  of  April,  1800. 
"  The  Comte  de  Cosse  had  placed  in  my  hands,  Madame, 
the  portrait  of  my  mother  which  you  charged  him  to 
bring  me.  You  have  procured  for  me  the  double  satis- 
faction of  seeing  in  one  of  your  most  beautiful  works  an 
image  dear  to  my  heart.  You  can  therefore  judge  of  the 
gratitude  I  feel  towards  you  for  having  employed  your  rare 
talents  in  giving  me  this  proof  of  your  sentiments,  and 
rest  assured  that  I  feel  all  the  more  affected  because  f 
cannot  explain  to  you  as  I  wish  my  deep  feeling.  You 
may  always  count,  Madame,  on  my  sentiments  regarding 
yourself. 

"Marie  Therese." 

As  soon  as  I  was  free  again  I  hastened  to  Mittau,  but 
unfortunately  found  that  the  Royal  Family  had  left. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Catherine— The  King  of  Sweden— The  Masked  Ball— Death  of  Cath- 
erine— Her  Funeral. 

HE  people  lived  so  happily  during  the  reign  of 
Catherine,  that  I  can  positively  affirm  having 
heard  her  blest  by  both  small  and  great,  as  one 
to  whom  the  nation  owed  so  much  of  its  glory  and  well- 
being.  I  shall  not  write  about  the  conquests  which  flat- 
tered the  nation's  pride  so  prodigiously,  but  of  the  real 
and  lasting  good  done  by  this  Sovereign  to  her  people. 

During  the  space  of  thirty-four  years,the  time  she  reigned, 
her  benevolent  genius  created  or  protected  all  that  was 
useful  and  glorious.  In  memory  of  Peter  I.,  she  built  an 
imperishable  monument  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
stone  towns,  saying  that  the  wooden  villages,  which  were 
so  easily  destroyed  by  fire,  cost  her  much  more.  She 
covered  the  sea  by  her  fleet ;  established  everywhere 
manufactories  and  banks,  so  essential  to  the  commerce  of 
St.  Petersburg,  Moscow,  and  Tobolsk.  She  accorded  new 
privileges  to  the  Academy ;  founded  schools  in  all  the 
towns  and  country  districts  ;  built  canals  and  raised  granite 
quays  ;  formed  a  new  code  of  laws  ;  created  an  establish- 
ment for  foundlings  ;  and  finally  she  introduced  in  her 
Empire  the  blessing  of  vaccination,  which  her  powerful  will 

258 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  259 

alone  was  capable  of  imposing  on  the  Russian  people,  and 
the  better  to  obtain  this  result  she  was  inoculated  first  her- 
self. 

All  these  beneficent  actions  are  due  to  Catherine  alone, 
for  she  never  gave  any  real  authority  to  others  ;  she  dic- 
tated herself  the  despatches  to  her  ministers,  who  were  in 
reality,  only  her  secretaries.  It  is  told  of  her  that  Lady 
Bruce,  who  had  long  been  her  intimate  friend,  said  one 
day :  "  I  notice  that  your  Majesty's  favourites  are  very 
young." 

"  I  desire  them  to  be  so,"  she  replied  :  "  if  they  were 
older,  people  would  say  they  governed  me." 

Zouboff,  who  was  the  last,  was  not  more  than  twenty- 
two  at  the  outside.  He  was  tall,  thin,  well  made,  with 
regular  features.  I  saw  him  for  the  first  time  at  a  court 
ball,  giving  his  arm  to  the  Empress  and  walking  with  her. 
He  wore  at  the  button-hole,  her  portrait,  set  with  superb 
diamonds,  and  she  appeared  to  treat  him  most  kindly  ; 
nevertheless,  all  agreed  in  saying  that  the  one  of  her 
favourites  whom  she  had  most  cared  for  was  Lanskoi".  She 
mourned  long  for  him.  She  had  a  tomb  erected  near  the 
chateau  of  Czarkoselo  for  his  remains,  whither  I  was  in- 
formed she  retired  very  often  alone  by  moonlight.  In 
fact,  Catherine  the  Great,  as  Prince  de  Ligne  called  her, 
was  like  a  man  :  one  can  only  speak  of  her  weaknesses  as 
one  does  of  those  of  Francis  I.  or  Louis  XIV.,  weaknesses 
which  did  not  influence  the  happiness  of  her  subjects 
in  any  way.  I  am  very  sorry  -that  Madame  la  Duchesse 
d'Abrantes  who  has  recently  pubHshed  a  work  on  Catherine 
II.,  either  did  not  read  what  was  written  by  the  Prince  de 


26o 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


Ligne  and  Comte  de  Segur,  or  else  would  not  submit  to 
these  two  incontestable  authorities.  She  would  more  justly 
have  appreciated  and  admired  what  distinguishes  this 
great  Empress,  considered  in  the  light  of  a  Sovereign,  and 
she  would  have  had  more  respect  for  the  memory  of  a 
woman  of  whom  our  sex  may  be  proud  under  so  many 
important  respects.  • 

Catherine  II.  loved  whatever  was  grand  in  art.  She 
caused  to  be  built  at  the  hermitage  saloons  like  those  at  the 

.  Vatican,  and  had  copied  the  fifty  paintings  by  Raffaelle 
which  ornament  them  ;  she  also  decorated  the  Academy 
with  plaster  models  of  the  most  beautiful  antique  statues 
and  several  paintings  by  different  masters.  The  Hermi- 
tage, which  she  had  erected  and  placed  near  her  palace, 
was  a  model  of  good  taste,  and  caused  the  heavy  archi- 
tecture of  the  Imperial  Palace  at  St.  Petersburg  to  look 
all  the  more  hideous.  It  is  well  known  she  wrote  French 
with  the  greatest  facility. 

I  have  seen  at  the  Library  of  St.  Petersburg  the  original 
manuscript  containing  the  code  of  laws  which  she  gave  to 

^  the  Russians  in  French,  entirely  written  by  her  own  hand. 
Her  style,  I  have  been  told,  was  elegant  and  very  concise, 
which  reminds  me  of  a  tale  about  her  which  I  find  charm- 
ing. When  General  Souwaroff  had  won  the  battle  of 
Warsaw,  Catherine  sent  off  a  courier  at  once  to  him,  and 
this  courier  only  carried  to  the  fortunate  conquerer  an 
envelope  on  which  she  had  written  with  her  own  hand  : 
"To  the  Marshal  Souwaroff." 

This  woman  whose  power  was  so  great  was,  when  alone, 
the  simplest  and  least  exacting  of  her  sex.    She  rose  at 


MADAME  LE-BRUN. 


five  in  the  morning,  lit  her  fire  and  made  her  coffee.  It  is 
related  that  one  day  having  lit  it  without  knowing  that  a 
sweep  had  gone  up  the  chimney,  the  man  began  to  swear 
horribly  at  her,  fancying  he  had  to  deal  with  one  of  the 
servants.  The  Empress  hastened  to  put  out  the  fire,  not 
without  laughing  at  hearing  herself  thus  treated. 

As  soon  as  she  had  breakfasted  she  wrote  her  letters, 
prepared  her  despatches,  and  remained  alone  till  nine 
o'clock.  Then  she  rang  for  her  valets,  who  sometimes  did 
not  answer  her  bell.  One  day,  for  example,  impatient  at 
waiting,  she  opened  the  door  of  the  room  where  they  sat, 
and,  finding  them  playing  cards,  she  demanded  why  they 
did  not  come  when  she  rang  ;  whereupon  one  of  them 
quietly  replied  that  they  had  wanted  to  finish  their  game, 
and  no  more  was  said  on  the  subject.  Another  time  Lady 
Bruce,  who  came  to  see  her  at  all  hours,  arrived  one  morn- 
ing and  found  her  alone  seated  at  her  toilette. 

"Your  Majesty  is  very  lonely,"  said  Lady  Bruce. 

"  What  can  I  do  ? "  replied  the  Empress,  "  my  waiting- 
maids  have  all  abandoned  me.  I  tried  on  a  dress,  and  it 
fitted  so  badly  I  became  angry,  and  they  left  me.  Even 
Reinette,  my  first  woman-in-waiting,  went  with  the  others, 
and  I  am  waiting  till  they  have  regained  their  good 
humour. 

In  the  evenings  Catherine  assembled  together  a  few  of 
her  favourite  courtiers.  She  made  her  grandchildren  come 
also,  and  they  played  blind-man's  buff  and  other  games 
till  ten,  when  Her  Majesty  retired  to  bed.  The  Princess 
Dolgorouki  has  often  told  me  how  much  the  gaiety  and 
pleasantness  shown  by  the  Empress  enhanced  the  charm 


263 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


of  these  evening  gatherings.  The  Comte  Stackelberg  was 
often  present  as  well  as  Comte  de  Segur,  whose  wit  and 
agreeableness  were  appreciated  by  Catherine.  When  she 
broke  with  France  and  dismissed  this  ambassador,*  she  ex- 
pressed her  regret  at  losing  him.  "  But,"  she  added,"  I  am 
an  aristocrat ;  everybody  ought  to  follow  their  calling." 

The  names  of  the  people  invited  by  the  Empress  to  her 
little  evening  entertainments,  as  well  as  the  presence  of 
the  youthful  Grand- Dukes  and  Duchesses,  ought  to  have 
been  a  sufficient  guarantee  of  the  order  which  reigned 
there  ;  but  there  appeared  a  frightful  libel  at  St.  Peters- 
burg accusing  Catherine  of  presiding  every  evening  over 
dreadful  orgies.  The  author  of  this  infamous  pamphlet 
was  discovered  and  expelled  from  Russia  ;  but  it  must  be 
stated  that  this  libelist  was  a  French  emigre,  distinguished 
for  his  cleverness,  who  had  so  interested  the  Empress  in 
his  misfortunes  that  she  had  housed  him  most  comfortably 
and  given  him  a  pension  of  twelve  thousand  roubles  ! 
Many  persons  attributed  the  death  of  Catherine  to  the 
sorrow  caused  her  by  the  rupture  of  the  marriage  between 
her  grand-daughter  the  Grand-Duchess  Alexandrine,  and 
the  young  King  of  Sweden.  This  Prince  arrived  at  St. 
Petersburg  with  his  uncle,  the  Due  de  Sudermanie,  the  14th 
of  August,  1796.  He  was  only  seventeen  ;  he  had  a  good 
figure,  and  his  proud  and  dignified  air  caused  him  to  be 
respected,  young  as  he  was.  His  education  had  been 
excellent,  and  he  was  extremely  courteous.  The  Princess 
whom  he  had  come  to  marry  was  fourteen,  and  very 

*  The  Comte  Esterhazy,  sent  by  Louis  XVIII.,  was  the  French 
Ambassador,  received  at  the  Russian  Court  when  I  arrived  there. — 
{Author's  note.) 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  263 

pretty  ;  he  became  much  in  love  with  her ;  I  remember 
that  one  evening  having  come  to  see  the  portrait  of  his 
future  fiancee,  which  I  had  painted,  he  gazed  at  it  with  so 
much  attention  that  his  hat  fell  from  his  hand. 

The  Empress  ardently  desired  this  marriage,  but  she 
insisted  on  her  grand-daughter  having  a  clergyman  of  her 
own  religion  at  Stockholm,  and  the  young  King,  notwith- 
standing all  his  love  for  the  Duchess  Alexandrine,  refused 
to  consent  to  that  which  was  opposed  to  the  laws  of  his 
country.  Knowing  that  Catherine  had  ordered  the  Patri- 
arch to  come  and  affiance  them  after  the  ball  to  be  given 
that  evening,  the  King  would  not  appear  there,  in  spite  of 
the  numerous  visits  made  by  M.  de  Marcoff  to  induce  him 
to  do  so.  I  was  then  painting  the  portrait  of  the  Comte 
Diedrestein  ;  we  both  kept  on  going  to  the  window  to  see 
if  the  young  King  would  give  way  to  so  many  persuasive 
arguments,  and  take  the  road  to  the  ball ;  but  he  would 
not  yield.  Afterwards,  from  what  I  heard  from  the  Prin- 
cesse  Dolgorouki,  everybody  was  assembled  when  the 
Empress  opened  the  door  of  her  room,  and  said  in  a  con- 
strained voice  : 

"  Ladies,  there  will  be  no  ball  this  evening." 

The  King  of  Sweden  and  the  Due  de  Sudermanie 
quitted  St.  Petersburg  the  next  morning. 

Whether  it  was  sorrow  caused  by  this  event,  or  not, 
which  abridged  the  days  of  Catherine,  Russia  was  destined 
to  lose  her  very  soon.  The  Sunday  preceding  her  death, 
I  went  the  morning  after  the  mass  to  present  to  Her 
Majesty  the  portrait  I  had  made  of  the  Grand- Duchess 
Elizabeth.  The  Empress  came  towards  me  and  compli- 
mented me  about  it,  and  then  said  :  "  They  insist  on  your 


264 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


doing  my  portrait ;  I  am  very  old,  but  since  they  desire  it 
so  much  I  will  give  you  the  first  sitting  this  day  week." 
The  Thursday  after,  she  did  not  ring  at  nine  o'clock  as 
usual.  They  waited  till  ten  and  even  later  ;  at  last  the 
head  waiting-maid  entered.  Not  seeing  the  Empress  in 
her  room,  she  went  to  the  little  clothes-cupboard,  and  as 
soon  as  she  opened  the  door  the  body  of  Catherine  fell  to 
the  ground.  No  one  knew  at  what  hour  she  had  been 
seized  with  the  apoplectic  attack  which  had  stricken  her 
down  ;  but  her  pulse  still  beat,  therefore  they  did  not  lose 
all  hope.  I  never  beheld  in  my  life  a  more  wide-spread 
consternation.  For  my  part  I  was  so  overcome  with  horror 
and  grief  when  I  heard  this  terrible  news,  that  my  daugh- 
ter, who  was  then  convalescent,  perceived  something  was 
wrong,  and  was  much  upset  in  consequence. 

After  my  dinner  I  rushed  to  the  Princesse  Dolgorouki, 
where  the  Comte  Cobentzel,  who  went  every  ten  minutes 
to  the  Palace  to  know  what  was  passing,  came  and  gave  us 
tidings.  The  anxiety  was  intense,  everybody  felt  it,  for 
not  only  were  they  fond  of  Catherine  but  they  had  a  great 
dread  of  the  reign  of  Paul ! 

Towards  evening  Paul  arrived  from  a  place  near  St. 
Petersburg,  which  he  always  inhabited.  When  he  beheld 
his  mother  lying  before  him,  nature  asserted  her  rights  ; 
he  approached  the  Empress,  kissed  her  hand,  and  shed  a 
few  tears.  At  last  towards  nine  in  the  evening  Catherine 
II.  expired,  on  the  17th  of  November,  1795.  Comte 
Cobentzel,  who  saw  her  breathe  her  last,  came  immediately 
to  tell  us  she  was  no  more. 

I  confess  that  it  was  with  fear  I  left  the  Princess 
Dolgorouki,  because  it  v/as  reported  all  around  me  that 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


265 


there  was  going  to  be  a  revolution  against  Paul.  The 
dense  crowd  I  saw,  while  going  home,  in  the  square  of  the 
chateau,  did  not  tend  to  reassure  me  ;  nevertheless  this 
crowd  was  so  quiet  that  I  soon  thought,  and  with  some 
truth,  that  for  the  present  we  had  nothing  to  fear.  The 
next  day  the  people  again  congregated  in  the  square,  and 
demonstrated  their  grief  by  the  most  piteous  wails.  Old 
men,  young  men,  and  children,  called  out  matusha 
(mother)  and  said,  with  tears,  that  they  had  lost  every- 
thing in  losing  her.  The  gloom  of  this  day  did  not  augur 
well  for  the  Prince,  who  was  then  ascending  his  throne. 

The  body  of  the  Empress  remained  exposed  for  six 
weeks  in  a  large  saloon  in  the  chateau,  which  was  illumin- 
ated day  and  night,  and  splendidly  decorated.  Catherine 
lay  on  a  couch,  surrounded  by  escutcheons,  bearing  the 
arms  of  all  the  cfties  in  the  Empire.  Her  face  was  un- 
covered, her  beautiful  hand  was  placed  on  the  bed.  All 
the  ladies,  of  whom  some- took  turns  to  watch  by  the  body, 
kissed  this  hand  or  pretended  to  do  so  ;  as  for  me,  I  had 
never  done  so  when  she  was  alive,  and  I  could  not  do  so 
after  death.  I  avoided  looking  at  the  face  of  Catherine 
IT.  even,  for  it  would  have  been  so  sadly  present  in  my 
imagination  afterwards. 

After  his  mother's  death,  Paul  caused  the  body  of  his 
father,  Peter  III.,  to  be  exhumed  ;  it  had  been  buried  for 
thirty-five  years  in  the  convent  of  Alexander  Newski. 
There  were  only  a  few  bones  found  in  the  coffin  and  one 
sleeve  of  the  uniform.  Paul  wished  to  have  the  same 
honours  paid  to  these  remains  as  to  those  of  Catherine. 
He  had  them  exhibited  in  the  middle  of  the  church  of 
12 


266         SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


Cazan,  and  service  was  performed  by  old  officers,  friends 
of  Peter  III.,  who  were  obliged  by  his  son  to  be  present, 
and  who  were  well  rewarded  in  consequence. 

The  time  arrived  for  the  funerals,  the  coffin  of  Peter  III., 
on  which  his  son  had  placed  a  crown,  was  transported 
near  that  of  Catherine,  and  both  were  taken  to  the  citadel, 
that  of  Peter  first  ;  for  Paul  wished  to  cast  a  slight  upon 
his  mother's  remains.  I  watched  this  mournful  spectacle 
from  my  window,  as  one  might  a  scene  at  a  play.  The 
coffin  of  the  defunct  Emperor  was  preceded  by  a  guards- 
man, clad  in  gold  armour  from  head  to  foot.  The  one  who 
walked  in  front  of  the  Empress's  coffin  wore  only  steel 
armour,*  and  the  assassins  of  Peter  III.  were  compelled, 
by  command  of  his  son,  to  carry  the  ends  of  the  pall  which 
covered  him.  Paul  followed  the  procession  on  foot,  bare- 
headed, with  his  wife  and  the  whole  Count,  who  were  very 
numerous  and  in  deep  mourning.  The  ladies  had  long 
trains  and  huge  black  veils  falling  around  them.  They 
had  to  walk  thus,  in  the  snow,  in  fearfully  cold  weather, 
from  the  Palace  to  the  fortress, f  which  is  some  distance 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Neva.  I  saw  several  ladies  looking 
nearly  dead  of  cold  and  fatigue  on  their  return. 

Mourning  was  worn  six  months.  The  women  had 
pointed  caps  coming  low  on  the  forehead,  which  did  not 
improve  their  appearance  at  all ;  but  this  slight  annoyance 
was  as  nothing  compared  to  the  alarm  felt  throughout  the 
Empire  at  the  death  of  Catherine  II. 

*  The  cavalier  who  wore  the  gold  armour  died  of  the  fatigue, 
f  It  is  in  the  fortress  that  all  the  Russian  sovereigns  are  interred. 
The  tomb  of  Peter  I.  is  one  of  the  plainest  possible. — {Authors  twte.) 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Paul  I. — His  Character — Fire  at  Pergola — Frogeres — M.  d'Autichamp 
— Koutaisofif — Madame  Chevalier. 

AUL  I.,  born  the  ist  of  October,  1754,  ascended 
the  throne  the  12th  of  October,  1796.  What 
I  have  already  related  about  the  funeral  of 
Catherine  shows  plainly  that  the  new  Emperor  did  not 
participate  in  the  grief  of  the  nation,  and,  moreover,  it  is 
well  known  that  he  decorated  Nicolas  Zouboff ,  who  brought 
him  the  tidings  of  his  mother's  death,  with  the  Order  of 
St.  Andrew. 

Paul  was  clever,  intelligent  and  energetic  ;  but  the  orig- 
inality of  his  character  verged  on  madness.  This  unlucky 
Prince  had  outbursts  of  kindness  and  generosity  which 
were  often  succeeded  by  fits  of  rage,  and  his  kindnesses 
or  anger,  his  favour  or  displeasure,  were  entirely  caused 
by  some  passing  caprice.  His  first  act,  as  soon  as  ,he 
ascended  the  throne  was  to  exile  Platon  Zouboff  to  Siberia, 
and  to  confiscate  the  greater  portion  of  his  property. 
Shortly  after,  he  recalled  him,  restored  him  his  property, 
and  the  whole  Court  beheld  him  present  this  ex-favourite 
to  the  Georgian  Ambassadors  with  the  greatest  affability 
and  load  him  with  kindnesses. 

267 


268 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


One  evening,  I  was  present  at  a  ball  given  by  the 
Court.  Everyone,  with  the  exception  of  the  Emperor,  was 
masked,  and  men  and  women  wore  black  dominoes. 
There  was  a  crush  at  one  of  the  doors  leading  from  one 
saloon  to  another  ;  a  young  man,  being  in  a  hurry  to  get 
in,  pushed  against  a  woman  who  began  to  shriek.  Paul 
immediately  turned  to  one  of  his  aides-de-camp  : 

"  Go,"  said  he,  "conduct  this  gentleman  to  the  fortress, 
and  see  that  he  is  shut  up  carefully." 

The  aide-de-camp  did  not  delay  in  returning  to  say 
that  he  had  fulfilled  this  command. 

"  But,"  added  he, "  Your  Majesty  ought  to  know  that  this 
young  man  is  very  short  sighted  ;  here  is  a  proof  of  it." 

And  he  showed  him  the  prisoner's  spectacles  which  he 
had  brought  with  him.  Paul,  after  having  tried  them  to 
assure  himself  of  the  truth  of  the  fact,  said  quickly  : 

"  Run  and  fetch  him  and  take  him  to  his  relations  ;  I 
cannot  rest  till  you  have  returned  and  I  hear  that  he  has 
gone  to  his  home." 

The  slightest  departure  from  Paul's  commands  was 
punished  with  exile  to  Siberia,  or  imprisonment  at  least, 
so  that  from  never  being  able  to  tell  where  madness, 
coiipled  with  arbitrary  power,  was  likely  to  lead  him,  peo- 
ple lived  in  a  perpetual  terror.  Soon  no  one  dared  to  re- 
ceive their  friends  at  home  ;  or  if  they  did  so,  they  took 
care  to  close  the  shutters ;  and  when  there  was  a  ball, 
the  carriages  were  sent  away  so  as  to  avoid  attracting  atten- 
tion. Everyone  was  watched  for  their  words  or  actions,  so 
that  I  heard  it  said  there  was  no  class  of  society  without 
its  spies.   People  refrained,  as  a  rule,  from  speaking  about 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  269 

the  Emperor.  I  remember  one  day  visiting  amongst  a 
small  circle  of  friends,  and  a  lady  who  did  not  know  me, 
and  who  was  growing  bold  on  this  subject  stopped  short 
when  she  saw  me  enter.  The  Comtesse  Golovin  was 
obliged  to  say  to  her  before  she  would  continue  her  dis- 
course : 

"  You  may  speak  out  without  fear,  it  is  Madame  Le 
Brun." 

,  All  this  sounded  rather  fearful  after  having  lived  under 
Catherine,  who  permitted  full  liberty  to  each,  without  be- 
ing able,  it  is  true,  to  pronounce  the  word. 

It  would  take  too  long  to  relate  on  how  many  futile  acts 
Paul  exercised  his  tyranny.  He  had  ordered  everybody 
to  bow  to  his  Palace,  even  when  he  was  absent.  For  in- 
stance, he  forbade  round  hats  to  be  worn,  because  he  con- 
sidered they  were  a  sign  of  Jacobinism.  The  police 
knocked  off  with  their  sticks  all  the  round  hats  they  met, 
to  the  great  annoyance  of  the  people,  whose  ignorance 
had  been  the  cause  of  their  bareheaded  condition.  Every- 
body was  compelled  to  wear  powder.  When  this  order 
was  issued,  I  was  painting  the  portrait  of  young  Prince 
Bariatinski,  and,  as  I  had  begged  him  not  to  come  pow- 
dered he  had  consented  not  to  do  so.  I  saw  him  arrive 
one  day  as  white  as  a  sheet. 

"  What  has  happened  } "  said  I. 

"  I  have  just  seen  the  Emperor,"  said  he,  still  trembling, 
"  I  had  barely  time  to  rush  under  a  doorway,  but  I  fear 
he  must  have  recognised  me." 

This  alarm  of  Prince  Bariatinski  was  not  at  all  surpris- 
ing ;  person,  of  all  classes  felt  it  also  ;  for  no  inhabitant 


270 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


of  St.  Petersburg  was  certain  in  the  morning  to  sleep  that 
evening  in  his  bed.  For  my  part,  I  can  say  I  experienced 
*  the  greatest  fright  I  ever  had  in  my  Hfe  under  Paul's 
reign.  I  went  to  Pergola  for  the  day  ;  I  was  accom- 
panied by  M.  de  Riviere,  my  coachman,  and  Peter,  my 
good  Russian  servant.  Whilst  M.  de  Riviere  was  walking 
about  with  his  gun,  trying  to  shoot  birds  or  rabbits,  which 
I  must  remark  were  never  much  injured  by  his  presence, 
I  remained  on  the  border  of  the  lake,  when  I  suddenly 
observed  the  fire  which  had  been  lighted  to  cook  our  din- 
ner spreading  amongst  the  pines  and  making  great  pro- 
gress. The  pines  touched  each  other,  Pergola  is  not  far 
from  St.  Petersburg.  I  screamed  loudly,  whilst  calling 
M.  de  Riviere,  and  fear  helping  us,  we  four  managed  to 
stifle  the  flames,  not  until  we  had  cruelly  "burnt  our  hands 
though  ;  but  we  thought  of  the  Emperor,  of  Siberia,  and 
fear,  as  it  may  be  imagined,  gave  us  courage  ! 

I  cannot  describe  the  terror  with  which  Paul  inspired 
me,  and  can  only  account  for  it  by  knowing  how  universal 
was  the  feeling ;  for  I  must  confess  that  to  me  he  was 
never  otherwise  than  polite  and  kind.  When  I  first  saw 
him  at  St.  Petersburg,  he  immediately  remembered  I 
had  been  presented  to  him  in  Paris,  under  the  title  of 
the  Comte  du  Nord.  I  was  very  young  at  that  time,  and 
so  many  years  had  passed  since  that  I  had  forgotten 
him  ;  but  princes  are  as  a  rule  gifted  with  the  faculty 
of  remembering  people  and  names ;  it  is  with  them  a 
natural  gift.  Amongst  the  many  singular  commands 
with  which  his  reign  was  distinguished,  was  one  it  was 
very  annoying  to  have  to  submit  to,  compelling  women  as 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


271 


well  as  men  to  get  out  of  their  carriages  when  the 
Emperor  passed.  Now,  Paul  was  frequently  to  be  met  in 
the  streets  of  St.  Petersburg,  seeing  that  he  was  always 
rushing  about  them,  sometimes  on  horseback  attended 
by  a  small  suite,  and  often  in  a  sleigh  without  any  escort 
or  sign  by  which  he  could  be  recognised.  Nevertheless, 
people  were  forced  to  obey  his  order,  or  else  run  great 
risks,  but  all  will  agree  it  was  cruel  in  the  most  biting  cold 
to  have  suddenly  to  step  into  the  snow.  One  day  finding 
myself  near  when  he  was  passing,  my  coachman  not  hav- 
ing seen  him,  I  had  only  time  to  call  out :  "  Stop  !  it  is 
the  Emperor  !  " 

But  as  the  door  was  opened,  and  I  was  going  to  de- 
scend the  steps,  he  came  out  of  his  sleigh  and  hastened  to 
prevent  my  doing  so,  saying  most  graciously  that  his  com- 
mand was  not  for  foreigners  and  certainly  not  for  Ma- 
dame Le  Brun. 

One  reason  why  Paul's  kindest  whims  were  not  reassur- 
ing for  the  future,  was  that  no  man  could  be  more  incon- 
stant in  his  ideas  and  affections.  In  the  beginning  of  his 
reign,  for  instance,  he  detested  Bonaparte  ;  later  on  he 
took  such  a  fancy  to  him  that  the  portrait  of  the  French 
hero  was  kept  in  his  sanctum,  and  he  showed  it  to  every- 
body. His  favour  or  displeasure  was  of  no  duration ; 
Count  Strogonoff  was,  I  believe,  the  only  man  he  never 
ceased  to  esteem  and  like.  He  was  not  known  to  have 
any  favourites  amongst  the  courtiers  ;  but  he  amused  him- 
self a  good  deal  with  a  French  actor,  called  Frogeres,  a 
man  of  some  talent  and  wit.  Frogeres  entered  the  Empe- 
ror's rooms  at  all  hours  without  being  announced  ;  they 


272 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


were  often  to  be  seen  walking  in  the  gardens  arm  in  arm, 
talking  about  French  literature,  w  :iich  Paul  was  fond  of, 
and  principally  of  our  stage. 

This  actor  was  often  admitted  to  the  private  reunions 
of  the  Court,  and  as  he  had  a  decided  talent  for  hoaxing, 
he  indulged  it  to  its  fullest  extent  with  some  of  the  high- 
est noblemen  present,  much  to  the  amusement  of  the 
Emperor,  but  not  equally  pleasing  to  the  victims  of  these 
pranks.  The  Grand-Dukes  themselves  were  not  exempt 
from  the  practical  jokes  of  Frogeres  ;  who,  after  Paul's 
death,  did  not  dare  to  show  himself  at  the  Palace. 

The  Emperor  Alexander  met  him,  when  walking  alone 
one  day,  in  the  streets  of  Moscow  and  called  him  up. 

"  Frogeres,  why  have  you  not  been  to  see  me  ? "  said 
he  kindly. 

"Sire,"  replied  Frogeres,  whose  fears  had  vanislied, 
"  I  did  not  know  your  Majesty's  address." 

The  Emperor  laughed  at  this  sally,  and  caused  the 
French  actor  to  be  well  paid  for  his  remaining  engage- 
ments, which  the  poor  man  had  never  dared  ask  for  till 
then. 

After  having  lived  for  some  time  under  Paul,  it  was 
natural  that  Frogeres  should  dread  the  resentment  of  a 
Sovereign  ;  for  Paul  was  so  vindictive,  that  the  greater 
portion  of  his  misdoings  may  be  attributed  to  his  hatred 
for  the  Russian  aristocracy,  of  whom  he  had  had  cause  for 
complaint  during  Catherine's  lifetime.  He  confounded  the 
innocent  with  the  guilty  in  this  dislike,  detested  the  great 
lords,  and  took  a  delight  in  humiliating  those  he  did  not 
exile.    He  was  very  kind  to  foreigners,  on  the  contrary, 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


especially  towards  the  French  ;  and  I  must  say  he  was 
always  good  to  the  strangers  and  emigres  who  came  from 
France.  Many  of  these  were  most  generously  assisted  by 
him. 

I  can  mention  amongst  others  the  Comte  d'Autichamp, 
who,  finding  himself  at  St.  Petersburg  utterly  destitute  of 
resources,  invented  some  elastic  slippers  which  were  really 
very  pretty.  I  bought  a  pair  which  I  showed  that  same 
evening  to  the  Princesse  Dolgorouki  and  several  other 
Court  ladies.  They  were  considered  charming,  and  this 
combined  with  the  interest  inspired  by  the  emigr^^  caused 
several  pairs  to  be  ordered.  It  was  not  long  before  the 
little  shoes  were  brought  to  the  Emperor's  notice,  who,  as 
soon  as  he  learned  the  workman's  name,  had  him  presented 
and  gave  him  a  nice  situation.  Unfortunately,  it  was  a 
position  of  some  confidence,  and  the  Russians  were  so  much 
offended,  that  Paul  could  not  leave  the  Comte  d'Auti- 
champ in  it  for  any  time  ;  but  he  contrived  to  recompense 
him  so  well,  that  he  put  him  out  of  the  way  of  want. 

Hearing  so  many  instances  of  this  description  made  me 
more  indulgent  towards  the  Emperor  than  it  did  the 
Russians,  whose  peace  was  continually  menaced  by  the 
foolish  caprices  of  a  powerful  madman.  It  would  be  dif- 
ficult to  give  any  idea  of  the  fears,  discontent,  and  secret 
murmuring  in  the  Court  which  I  had  known  so  contented 
and  happy.  It  may  be  truthfully  stated  that  whilst  Paul 
reigned,  fear  ruled  everyone. 

As  it  is  impossible  to  torment  people  without  torment- 
ing oneself  as  well,  Paul  was  far  from  leading  a  happy 
life.  He  was  haunted  by  the  thought  that  he  would  die 
12* 


274 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


either  by  poison  or  the  knife,  and  this  shows  how  much 
disorder  there  was  in  the  conduct  of  this  wretched  Prince. 
Whilst  day  and  night  saw  him  rushing  through  the  streets 
of  St.  Petersburg  alone,  he  took  the  precaution  of  keep- 
ing a  cooking  apparatus  in  his  room,  and  the  rest  of  his 
kitchen  arrangements  were  conducted  with  the  utmost 
secrecy. 

The  whole  was  superintended  by  the  faithful  Koutai-  • 
solf,  a  confidential  servant,  who  had  followed  him  from 
Paris  and  never  left  his  person.  This  Koutaisoff  was 
devoted  to  the  Emperor,  and  not  even  jealousy  could 
make  him  change  in  his  feelings  towards  him  ;  for  Paul 
did  him  a  bad  turn  in  taking  his  mistress  from  him,  the 
prettiest  actress  in  the  St.  Petersburg  theatre.  She  was  a 
Madame  Chevalier  and  acted  very  successfully  in  comic 
operettas.  Her  face  and  voice  were  charming,  and  she 
sang  with  much  feeling  and  expression.  Koutaisoff  was 
passionately  fond  of  her,  when  the  Emperor  followed  suit, 
which  so  troubled  the  poor  man  that  his  reason  nearly 
left  him,  and  his  situation  suffered  also,  as  will  be  seen 
hereafter  in  a  terrible  manner. 

Paul  was  extremely  ugly.  A  flat  nose,  and  very  large 
mouth  full  of  long  teeth,  made  him  resemble  a  death's  head. 
His  eyes  were  very  piercing,  but  could  look  soft  at  times. 
He  was  neither  fat  nor  thin,  and  of  medium  height,  and 
although  he  had  a  somewhat  distinguished  carriage,  his 
face  was  just  the  one  for  a  caricature  ;  so  that,  notwith- 
standing the  danger  of  such  a  pastime,  numbers  were  forth- 
coming. One  amongst  others  represented  him  holding  a 
paper  in  each  hand  :  one  was  written  order j  on  the  other 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  275 

counter  order;  and  on  his  forehead,  disorder.  The  mere 
recollection  of  this  caricature  makes  me  shiver  ;  for  one 
felt  that  it  was  a  matter  of  death,  not  only  for  the  one 
who  had  composed  it,  but  for  all  who  had  even  produced  it. 

Nevertheless,  St.  Petersburg  was  not  an  unpleasant 
residence  for  an  artist.  The  Emperor  Paul  loved  and 
protected  the  fine  arts.  Being  fond  of  French  literature, 
he  attracted  and  retained  by  his  generosity  the  actors  to 
whom  he  was  indebted  for  the  knowledge  of  our  master- 
pieces, and  none  possessing  a  talent  for  music  or  painting 
could  pass  unnoticed  by  him. 

Doyen,  my  father's  friend,  and  the  historical  painter  I 
have  already  spoken  about  several  times,  was  as  much 
patronised  by  Paul  I.  as  he  was  by  Catherine  II.  Although 
very  aged  at  the  time,  Doyen,  who  had  a  very  simple 
and  frugal  way  of  living,  would  only  accept  a  portion  of 
the  generous  offers  made  by  the  Empress.  The  Emperor 
continued  the  same  generosity,  and  ordered  a  ceiling 
for  the  new  Palace  of  St,  Michel  which  was  not  yet 
furnished. 

The  room  where  Doyen  worked  was  near  the  Hermit- 
age ;  Paul  and  the  whole  Court  crossed  it  to  go  to  mass, 
and  it  was  seldom  that  the  Emperor  did  not  stop  to  have 
a  chat  with  the  painter  in  a  most  friendly  manner.  This 
reminds  me  that  one  day  a  nobleman  following  him  went 
up  to  Doyen  and  said  : 

Allow  me.  Sir,  to  make  an  observation ;  you  are 
painting  the  Hours  dancing  around  the  chariot  of  the 
Sun  ;  I  see  one  over  there  much  farther  off,  smaller  than 
the  rest ;  and  yet  the  Hours  are  all  alike.'* 


276 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


"  Sir,"  replied  Doyen,  with  much  gravity,  "  you  are  quite 
right,  but  the  one  you  speak  of  is  only  half  an  hour." 

The  inquirer  made  a  sign  of  approval  and  retired  very 
pleased  with  himself. 

I  must  not  omit  to  say  that  the  Emperor,  wishing  to  pay 
the  price  of  the  ceiling  before  it  was  terminated,  sent 
Doyen  a  bank  note  for  a  considerable  sum,  whose  value  I 
forget  ;  but  it  was  wrapped  in  a  paper  on  which  Paul  had 
written.  "  Here  is-something  with  which  to  buy  colours  : 
as  for  the  oil,  there  still  remains  plenty  in  the  lamp." 

If  my  father's  old  friend  was  pleased  with  his  fortune  at 
St.  Petersburg,  I  was  none  the  less  pleased  with  mine.  I 
worked  unceasingly  from  morning  to  evening.  Only  on 
Sundays  I  lost  two  hours,  which  I  was  obliged  to  give  to 
those  who  wished  to  visit  my  studio ;  amongst  the  number 
were  often  the  Grand-Dukes  and  Grand-Duchesses,  Be- 
sides the  paintings  of  which  I  have  spoken  and  numerous 
portraits,  I  had  procured  from  Paris  my  picture  of  Queen 
Marie  Antoinette,  the  one  in  which  I  painted  her  in  a 
blue  velvet  dress — the  interest  it  caused  gave  me  great 
pleasure.  Prince  de  Conde,  then  at  St.  Petersburg,  having 
come  to  see  it,  did  not  say  a  word  but  burst  into  tears. 

I  might  have  imagined  myself  in  Paris  in  those  days, 
there  were  so  many  French  present  at  the  parties.  I  met 
once  more  the  Due  de  Richelieu  and  Comte  de  Langeron  ; 
but  they  were  quite  residents,  the  first  being  Governor  of 
Odessa  and  the  second  always  employed  for  any  military 
inspections  ;  but  it  was  not  the  same  case  with  other  com- 
patriots. I  renewed  acquaintance  with  the  amiable  and 
excellent  Comtesse  Ducrest  de  Villeneuve.    Not  only  was 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


277 


she  pretty,  but  very  kind-hearted.  I  often  saw  her,  both 
at  St.  Petersburg  and  at  Moscow  ;  one  day  when  I  was 
going  to  dine  with  her,  I  met  with  an  accident,  which  is 
not  uncommon  in  Russia,  but  which  terrified  me  exceed- 
ingly. M.  de  Villeneuve  came  to  fetch  me  in  a  sleigh  ;  it 
was  so  cold  that  my  forehead  was  quite  frost  bitten.  I 
called  aloud  in  my  horror,  "  I  cannot  think  !  I  shall  not 
be  able  to  paint  again !  "  M.  de  Villeneuve  took  me 
quickly  into  a  shop  where  I  was  rubbed  with  snow,  and 
this  remedy,  employed  by  all  Russians  in  such  cases,  soon 
cured  my  complaint.  Every  day  increased  the  circle  of 
my  acquaintance.  I  often  met  M.  Demidoff,  the  wealthiest 
private  gentleman  in  Russia.  His  father  had  left  him  such 
a  goodly  heritage  of  iron  and  other  mines,  that  his  fortune 
was  continually  increasing.  His  great  wealth  caused  him 
to  be  married  to  a  Strogonoff,  a  descendant  of  one  of  the 
noblest  and  most  ancient  families  in  Russia.  Their  union 
was  a  very  happy  one ;  although  his  wife  was  very  charm- 
ing and  graceful,  he  never,  I  believe,  cared  much  for  her, 
but  she  lived  very  contentedly  with  him  nevertheless. 
They  only  left  two  sons,  one  of  whom  lives  generally  in 
Paris,  and  like  his  father,  is  a  great  patron  of  painting. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


Portrait  of  the  Empress  Marie — The  Grand-Dukes — The  Archiman- 
drite— Fete  at  Peterhoff — The  King  of  Poland — His  Death — ^Joseph 
Poniatowski. 

AVING  been  ordered  by  the  Emperor  to  paint 
.  SsK^  a  portrait  of  the  Empress,  his  wife,  I  repre- 
'■^M^^Mbl':  sented  her  on  foot,  wearing  a  court  dress  and 
a  crown  of  diamonds.  I  do  not  care  to  paint  diamonds, 
the  brush  cannot  give  them  sufficient  briUiancy.  But  by 
making  a  background  of  a  crimson  velvet  curtain,  which 
brought  out  the  crown  into  relief,  I  managed  to  make  it 
as  briUiant  as  it  was  possible  to  do.  When  I  had  the 
painting  in  my  own  rooms  to  finish  it,  they  wished  to  lend 
me  the  court  dress  with  the  diamonds  as  well,  but  I  refused 
this  mark  of  confidence  which  would  have  made  me  live 
in  a  state  of  terror ;  I  preferred  to  paint  them  at  the 
Palace,  and  had  my  painting  carried  back  accordingly. 

The  Empress  Marie  was  a  handsome  woman  ;  and  from 
being  rather  stout,  looked  still  fresh.  She  was  tall,  and 
commanding,  with  splendid  fair  hair.  I  remember  seeing 
her  once  at  a  ball  with  her  beautiful  curly  locks  falling 
each  side  of  her  shoulders,  surmounted  by  a  coronet  of 
diamonds  ;  this  tall  and  stately  figure  rose  majestically  by 
the  side  of  Paul,  forming  a  striking  contrast.    A  noble 

278 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  279 

disposition  was  added  to  so  much  beauty  ;  the  Empress 
Marie  was  really  like  the  woman  spoken  of  in  the  Bible, 
and  her  virtues  were  so  well  known  that  she  was  perhaps 
the  only  instance  of  a  woman,  whom  calumny  dared  not 
attack.  I  confess  that  I  felt  proud  at  being  honoured  by 
her  notice,  and  the  nice  ways  in  which  she  always  showed 
her  kindness. 

Our  sittings  always  took  place  after  the  Court  dinner, 
so  that  the  Emperor  and  his  two  sons,  Alexander  and 
Constantine,  were  often  present.  These  august  person- 
ages did  not  make  me  feel  at  all  embarrassed,  as  the  Em- 
peror, the  only  one  I  feared,  was  always  good  to  me.  One 
day  he  brought  me  my  cup  of  coffee  himself,  as  I  was 
standing  at  my  easel,  waited  till  I  had  finished  it  and  took 
it  away  again.  Once  he  made  me  witness  a  rather  curious 
scene.  I  had  placed  a  screen  behind  the  Empress,  so  as 
to  have  a  stationary  background.  During  one  of  the 
pauses,  Paul  began  to  cut  all  sorts  of  capers,  like  a 
monkey,  scratching  at  the  screen  and  pretending  to  climb 
over  it;  this  game  lasted  some  time.  Alexander  and  Con- 
stantine were  evidently  grieved  at  seeing  their  father 
behave  in  such  a  remarkable  manner  before  a  stranger, 
and  it  made  me  feel  uncomfortable  also. 

During  one  of  my  sittings,  the  Empress  brought  her  two 
younger  sons,  the  Grand-Duke  Nicholas  and  the  Grand- 
Duke  Michael.  I  never  saw  a  finer  child  than  the  Grand- 
Duke  Nicholas,  afterwards  Emperor.  I  could  almost 
paint  him  from  memory  even  now,  so  much  did  I  admire 
his  lovely  face,  quite  Grecian  in  its  character. 

I  also  remember  one  whose  type  of  beauty  was  quite 
different,  as  he  was  an  old  man.    Although  the  Emperor 


28o 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


in  Russia  is  the  head  of  the  Church,  as  well  as  of  the  Army 
and  State,  religious  power  is  exercised  under  him  by  the 
first  Pope,  called  "  the  great  Archimandrite,"  who  is  to  the 
Russians  what  the  Pope  is  for  us.  Since  I  had  lived  in 
St.  Petersburg,  I  had  often  heard  of  the  merits  and  virtues 
of  him  who  filled  this  post,  and  one  day,  several  of  my  ac- 
quaintances who  often  saw  him  having  suggested  my  ac- 
companying them,  I  willingly  accepted  their  offer. 

He  was  a  strikingly  majestic  and  handsome  man,  with  a 
long  white  beard  falling  below  his  breast,  adding  still  more 
to  the  venerable  character  of  his  appearance.  The  gravity 
of  his  rank  did  not  prevent  him  from  being  gracious  and 
pleasant  with  everybody.  One  day,  a  Princess  Galitzin, 
who  was  very  beautiful,  seeing  him  in  a  garden,  ran  and 
threw  herself  on  her  knees  before  him.  The  old  gentle- 
man at  once  plucked  a  rose  with  which  he  gave  her  his 
benediction. 

One  of  my  regrets  on  leaving  Russia  was  that  I  had 
never  painted  his  portrait ;  I  do  not  think  anyone  could 
have  beheld  a  finer  model. 

Another  personage  whom  I  frequently  met  and  for 
whom  I  had  a  most  friendly  regard,  lived  then  at  St. 
Petersburg  as  a  private  gentleman.  It  was  Stanislas-Au- 
guste-Poniatowski,  last  King  of  Poland.  In  my  youth  I 
had  often  heard  about  this  Prince,  who  had  not  then  as- 
cended the  throne,  from  several  people  who  had  met  him 
at  Madame  Geoffrin's  where  he  frequently  dined. 

All  who  knew  him  at  that  time  were  loud  in  their 
praises  of  his  goodness  and  fine  bearing.  Whether  fortu- 
nately or  not  for  him,  it  is  difficult  to  decide,  but  he  went 
to  St.  Petersburg,  and  Catherine  II.  took  a  fancy  to  the 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


281 


handsome  Pole,  and  when  she  ascended  the  throne,  used 
her  best  endeavours  to  make  him  King  of  Poland.  Ponia- 
towski  was  crowned  on  the  7th  of  October,  1764. 

It  must  be  supposed  that  love  in  a  Sovereign  is  quickly 
superseded  by  ambition,  for  this  same  Catherine  soon  de- 
stroyed her  work  and  overthrew  the  monarchy  she  had 
once  protected.  The  destruction  of  Poland  being  decided 
upon,  Replin  and  Stakelberg,  Russian  Ambassadors,  be- 
came the  actual  rulers  of  this  unfortunate  kingdom,  until 
the  day  came  when  it  ceased  to  exist.  Their  Court  be- 
came more  numerous  than  that  of  the  Prince,  whom  they 
did  not  cease  to  insult  and  who  was  King  only  in  name. 

Stanislas- Auguste-Poniatowski  was  kind,  good,  and  very 
brave,  but  perhaps  he  was  lacking  in  that  energy  which  it 
was  necessary  for  him  to  possess,  in  order  to  restrain  the 
rebellious  spirit  which  reigned  in  his  country.  He  did  his 
best  to  be  agreeable  both  to  the  aristocracy  and  the 
nation,  and  succeeded  in  some  measure  ;  but  there  existed 
too  many  elements  of  disorder  in  the  interior  and  his  suc- 
cess would  have  been  a  miracle.  Therefore  he  gave  way 
and  retired  to  Grodno,  where  he  lived  on  a  pension  made 
him  by  Russia,  Prussia,  and  Austria,  who  between  them 
divided  his  kingdom. 

The  Emperor  Paul  I.,  after  Catherine's  death,  invited 
Poniatowski  to  St.  Petersburg  to  assist  at  his  coronation. 
During  the  whole  ceremony,  which  was  very  long,  the  ex- 
king  was  left  standing,  which  from  his  advanced  age  made 
a  painful  impression  on  all  who  were  present.  Paul 
showed  himself  kinder  towards  him  another  time  when  he 
pressed  him  to  stay  at  St.  Petersburg,  where  he  lodged 
him  in  the  marble  Palace,  which  stands  on  the  beautiful 


282 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


quay  of  the  Neva.  By  a  singular  coincidence,  this  Palace 
was  situated  nearly  opposite  the  fortress  where  Catherine 
II.  is  interred. 

The  King  of  Poland  was  otherwise  agreeably  located. 
He  had  formed  a  very  pleasant  society  around  him,  mostly 
composed  of  Frenchmen,  and  a  few  strangers.  He  was 
kitid  enough  to  seek  me.  out  and  invite  me  to  his  private 
receptions  ;  he  called  me  his  boime  amie^  as  did  Prince 
Kaunitz  at  Vienna.  Nothing  affected  me  more  than  to 
hear  him  say,  how  happy  he  should  have  felt  had  I  been 
in  Warsaw  when  he  was  King.  I  remembered  at  that 
time  someone  told  him  I  was  going  to  Poland,  and  he 
said  that  he  would  treat  me  with  the  greatest  distinction  ; 
but  all  allusion  to  the  past  struck  me  as  being  painful  for 
him.  Stanislas  Poniatowski  was  very  noble.  His  face 
was  full  of  sweetness  and  benevolence.  He  was  a  most 
agreeable  man  in  conversation,  being  well  versed  in  litera- 
ture. He  was  so  devoted  to  painting,  that  when  he  lived 
in  Warsaw  he  frequently  visited  the  artists  residing  in 
that  city.  His  kindness  was  unequalled.  I  remember 
receiving  myself  a  proof  of  it,  which  even  now  causes  me 
to  feel  ashamed.  Sometimes  when  I  am  painting,  I  seem 
to  lose  sight  of  everybody  and  everything  except  my 
model,  which  has  often  caused  me  to  behave  in  a  very 
rude  manner  to  those  who  happen  to  disturb  me  when  at 
work. 

One  morning,  being  engaged  in  finishing  a  portrait,  the 
King  of  Poland  came  to  see  me  ;  having  heard  the  sound 
of  several  horses  at  the  door  I  fancied  who  it  might  be, 
but  was  'SO  absorbed  in  my  work  that  I  felt  vexed,  so 
much  so  indeed,  that  when  he  opened  my  door,  I  called 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.'  283 

out  :  "I  am  not  at  home."  The  King  said  not  a  word, 
but  put  on  his  coat  again  and  departed.  As  soon  as  I  had 
quitted  my  palette,  I  remembered  how  I  had  behaved, 
and  felt  so  ashamed  that  I  went  that  same  evening  to  the 
King  of  Poland  to  make  my  excuses  and  ask  for  forgive- 
ness. 

"  How  you  greeted  me  this  morning  !  "  said  he,  as  soon 
as  he  saw  me,  and  added,  "  I  can  quite  understand  that 
when  one  disturbs  an  artist  who  is  very  busy,  it  is  annoy- 
ing to  her,  so  believe  me  I  do  not  feel  at  all  annoyed  with 
you."  And  he  made  me  remain  to  supper,  all  my  be- 
haviour being  forgiven. 

I  rarely  missed  the  little  suppers  given  by  the  King  of 
Poland.  Lord  Whitworth,  the  English  Ambassador  at 
the  Russian  Court,  and  the  Marquis  de  Riviere  were  also 
very  faithful  in  their  attendance.  We  all  three  preferred 
these  friendly  gatherings  to  the  larger  crushes  ;  for  after 
supper  we  often  had  a  charming  conversation,  which  the 
King  knew  how  to  enliven  by  a  number  of  interesting  an- 
ecdotes. 

One  evening,  after  I  had  been  at  the  palace  a  short 
time,  I  was  struck  by  the  singular  change  which  I  ob- 
served in  the  looks  of  our  dear  Prince  ;  his  left  eye  ap-' 
peared  to  me  so  dead  and  lustreless  that  I  felt  terrified. 
On  leaving,  I  said  on  the  stairs  to  Lord  Whitworth  and 
the  Marquis  de  Riviere,  whose  arm  I  had  taken  : 

"Do  you  know  that  the  King  causes  me  great  uneasi- 
ness?" 

"  Why,"  they  asked,  "  he  seems  in  excellent  health  ;  and 
has  been  conversing  in  his  usual  spirits." 


284  *  SOUVENIRS  OF 

"  I  have  the  misfortune  to  be  a  good  physiognomist/*  *  I 
repHed,  **and  I  noticed  how  curious  his  eyes  looked;  the 
King  will  not  live  long." 

Alas  !  I  had  guessed  only  too  correctly  ;  for  the  next 
day  he  was  struck  down  by  an  attack  of  apoplexy,  and 
shortly  after  was  interred  in  the  fortress  near  Catherine. 
It  was  with  real  grief  that  I  heard  of  this  death,  a  feeling 
shared  by  all  who  had  known  the  King  of  Poland.  Stan- 
islas Poniatowski  never  married  ;  he  had  a  niece  and  two 
nephews.  The  eldest, of  these  last  Princes,  Joseph  Ponia- 
towski is  well  known  for  his  military  skill  and  bravery, 
which  have  caused  him  to  be  surnamed  the  "  Polish  Bay- 
ard." When  I  knew  him  first,  he  might  have  been  six  or 
seven  and  twenty.  He  had  very  little  hair  on  his  fore- 
head, but  his  face  was  remarkably  handsome.  He  had 
shown  so  much  bravery  and  military  knowledge  in  the 
last  wars  against  the  Turks,  that  he  was  unanimously  pro- 
claimed chief  captain,  and  I  was  astonished  on  seeing 
him,  to  think  one  so  young  should  have  gained  such  a  re- 
putation. Everyone  vied  with  their  neighbours  at  St. 
Petersburg  in  the  pleasure  of  greeting  and  feting  him. 

During  a  grand  supper  that  was  given  him,  and  to  which 
I  was  invited,  all  the  women  begged  him  to  have  his  por- 
trait taken  by  myself ;  he  replied  with  that  modesty  which 
was  his  chief  characteristic  : 

"  I  must  win  several  battles  before  being  painted  by 
Madame  Le  Brun." 

*  It  is  seldom  that  I  am  deceived  in  appearances.  The  last  time  I  saw 
the  Duchesse  de  Mazarin,  who  was  feeling  very  well  and  looking  in 
perfect  health,  I  said  to  my  husband  :  ' '  The  Duchesse  will  not  be  alive 
in  a  month  ;  "  which  happened  as  I  had  predicted. — {Author's  note.) 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  285 

When  I  next  beheld  Joseph  Poniatowski  in  Paris,  I 
should  not  have  recognised  him,  he  was  so  much  altered. 
He  wore  a  frightful  wig  which  made  him  look  quite  differ- 
ent. But  his  renown  had  so  much  increased,  that  he  could 
console  himself  for  the  loss  of  his  beauty.  He  was  then 
preparing  to  wage  war  against  Germany,  under  Napoleon, 
whose  faithful  ally  he  had  become,  in  his  quality  of  Pole. 
His  bravery  in  the  campaigns  of  18 12  and  1813  is  well 
known,  as  is  the  mournful  incident  which  put  an  end  to 
this  noble  career. 

Joseph  Poniatowski's  brother  did  not  resemble  him  at 
all ;  he  was  tall,  stiff,  and  cold.  I  did  not  see  much  of 
him  at  St.  Petersburg  ;  but  I  recollect  his  coming  one 
morning  to  see  the  portrait  of  the  Comtesse  Strogonoff, 
and  occupying  himself  solely  with  the  frame  of  the  pic- 
ture. He  had  a  great  idea  of  his  knowledge  of  painting 
though,  and  was  guided  in  his  judgments  by  an  artist 
who  drew  very  well,  but  who  was  chiefly  distinguished  by 
his  copying  Raffaelle's  designs,  which  gave  him  a  supreme 
contempt  for  the  French  school. 

Madame  Menichek,  the  King  of  Poland's  niece,  was 
very  kind  to  me,  and  it  was  with  pleasure  that  I  met  her 
again  in  Paris.  I  painted  her  daughter's  portrait  at  St. 
Petersburg,  when  she  was  quite  a  child ;  and  that  of  her 
uncle,  the  King  of  Poland  as  well,  dressed  in  the  costume 
of  the  time  of  Henri  IV.  The  first  portrait  I  made  of 
that  good  Prince  I  kept  for  myself.* 


*  This  splendid  portrait  is  now  the  property  of  M.  J.  Tripier  Le 
Franc,  a  nephew  by  marriage  of  Madame  Vigee  Le  Brun. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

My  Reception  by  the  St.  Petersburg  Academy — My  Daughter — Sor- 
row caused  by  her  Marriage — The  Countess  Czemicheff — I  leave 
for  Moscow. 

NE  of  the  pleasantest  memories  I  have  is  that 
of  my  reception  as  Member  of  the  St.  Peters- 
burg Academy.  I  was  informed  by  Count 
Strogonoff,  then  director,  of  the  day  fixed  on  for  my  re- 
ception. I  had  ordered  for  myself  the  Academy  uniform, 
a  riding  habit  with  a  Httle  violet  waiscoat,  yellow  petti- 
coat, and  black  hat  and  feathers. 

At  one  o'clock  I  entered  a  salon  preceding  a  long  gal- 
lery, at  the  end  of  which  I  distinguished  Count  Strogonoff, 
seated  at  a  table.  I  was  asked  to  go  towards  him.  In 
order  to  do  so,  I  had  to  cross  this  long  gallery  filled  with 
spectators,  but  as,  fortunately,  I  knew  many  people 
amongst  this  crowd  I  did  not  feel  very  nervous.  The 
Count  made  me  a  very  complimentary  little  discourse, 
and  then  gave  me  from  the  Emperor  the  diploma  which 
made  me  a  Member  of  the  Academy.  In  the  evening,  I 
met  several  persons  who  had  been  present  at  the  spec- 
tacle. I  was  applauded  for  my  courage  in  crossing  the 
gallery  full  of  people.  I  could  not  have  done  so,"  I  re- 
plied, "had  I  not  known  how  kindly  disposed  they  all 
were  to  me." 

286 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  287 

I  made  my  own  portrait  for  the  Academy  of  St.  Peters- 
burg, and  represented  myself  painting,  with  my  palette  in 
my  hand. 

I  linger  on  these  pleasant  episodes  in  my  life,  for  I  long 
to  avoid  speaking  about  the  sorrows  and  worries  which 
troubled  my  sojourn  at  St.  Petersburg,  but  I  must  now 
enter  into  some  of  these  sad  details. 

My  daughter  was  seventeen  years  old.  She  was  very 
charming  ;  her  large  blue  eyes  were  full  of  mirth,  her  nose 
was  slightly  retrousse,  her  pretty  mouth,  beautiful  teeth, 
and  fresh  complexion  formed  as  lovely  a  face  as  one  could 
wish  to  see.  She  was  not  very  tall,  but  slim,  without  being 
thin.  She  had  great  ease  of  manner  and  sprightliness. 
Her  memory  was  wonderful  ;  she  remembered  everything 
she  had  learnt  in  lessons  or-  from  reading.  She  sang  de- 
lightfully, for  at  Naples  and  at  St.  Petersburg  I  had  given 
her  the  best  teachers,  as  well  as  English  and  German 
masters ;  but  what  pleased  me  most  of  all  was  her 
great  aptitude  for  painting,  so  that  I  cannot  express 
how  happy  and  proud  I  was  at  her  many  accomplish- 
ments. 

I  beheld  in  my  daughter  the  joy  of  my  life  and  the 
comfort  of  my  old  age,  so  that  it  was  not  surprising  that  she 
had  her  own  way  in  most  things.  My  friends  said  some- 
times that  I  loved  her  so  devotedly  that  I  obeyed  her,  but 
I  repHed,  "  Do  you  not  see  that  she  is  beloved  by  all  ? " 
In  fact  she  was  appreciated  by  the  most  distinguished 
people  and  much  sought  after.  I  was  never  invited  with- 
out her,  and  I  enjoyed  the  successes  she  obtained  in 
society  much  more  than  I  had  enjoyed  my  own. 


288 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


As  it  was  but  seldom  I  could  leave  my  studio  in  the 
morning,  I  had  consented  to  leave  my  daughter  with  the 
Countess  Czernicheff  sometimes,  as  she  often  took  her  for 
sleighing  parties,  which  she  much  enjoyed,  and  the 
Countess  also  made  her  spend  the  evening  with  them 
when  I  was  absent.  There  was  often  to  be  met  there  a 
man  called  Nigris,  the  secretary  to  Count  Czernicheff. 
This  man  was  good-looking  and  had  a  nice  figure,  and 
appeared  about  thirty  years  of  age.  As  for  his  accomplish- 
ments, he  drew  a  little,  and  his  writing  was  very  good. 
His  soft  ways  and  melancholy  glances  gave  him  a  roman- 
tic and  interesting  appearance,  which  had  such,  an  effect 
upon  my  daughter  that  she  fell  in  love  with  him.  Imme- 
diately the  Czernicheff  family  began  to  lay  plans  and  try 
to  make  him  my  son-in-law.  Being  informed  of  what  was 
passing,  my  sorrow  was  very  great  as  may  well  be  imagined, 
and  painful  it  was  for  me  to  think  of  giving  my  daughter, 
my  only  child,  to  a  man  with  neither  talent,  fortune, 
nor  family.  I  made  inquiries  about  Monsieur  Nigris. 
Some  spoke  well  of  him,  but  others  spoke  ill,  so  the 
days  passed  without  my  being  able  to  decide  on  any- 
thing. 

In  vain  did  I  try  to  persuade  my  daughter  that  this 
marriage  would  not  be  a  happy  one  for  her  under  the  circum- 
stances. Her  head  was  quite  turned,  and  she  would  not 
listen  to  the  dictates  of  my  love  and  experience.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  people  who  had  resolved  on  my  consent 
employed  every  means  in  their  power  to  tear  it  from  me. 
They  told  me  Monsieur  Nigris  would  run  away  with  my 
daughter  and  have  a  clandestine  marriage.    I  did  not 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  289 

believe  it  though,*  for  Monsieur  Nigris  had  no  money  and 
the  family  which  protected  him  were  not  over-burdened 
with  it  either.  They  threatened  me  with-  the  Emperor, 
and  I  replied,  "  I  shall  tell  him  that  a  mother's  rights  are 
older  and  better  than  those  of  all  the  Emperors  living." 
The  cabal  which  had  formed  against  me  was  so  sure  of 
making  me  give  way  to  persecution,  that  they  actually 
asked  me  for  a  wedding  portion,  as  I  was  supposed  to  be 
very  rich.  I  remember  that  the  Neapolitan  Ambassador 
came  to  see  me  and  ask  of  me,  for  this  marriage,  a  sum 
which  exceeded  what  I  was  in  possession  of  at  the  time  ; 
for  I  had  only  left  France  with  eighty  louis  in  my  pocket, 
and  a  portion  of  my  savings  since  had  been  taken  from  me 
by  the  Venetian  Bank. 

I  could  have  borne  the  malice  and  slanders  of  the  cabal, 
but  the  hardest  thing  of  all  was  that  my  daughter  seemed 
to  shun  me  and  treated  me  no  longer  with  any  affection. 
Finally,  she  became  very  thin,  and  fell  quite  ill.  Then  I 
was  compelled  to  give  way,  I  wrote  to  Monsieur  Le  Brun, 
asking  him  to  give  his  consent.  Monsieur  Le  Brun,  in  his 
letters,  had  often  spoken  to  me  of  the  wish  he  had  to  marry 
our  child  to  Guerin,  whose  fame  as  an  artist  had  reached 
me  even  then.  This  project,  which  would  have  suited  us 
so  well,  could  no  logger  be  realised.  I  told  Monsieur  Le 
Brun  the  story,  and  made  him  feel  that  ha-ving  only  this 
one  dear  child,  we  ought  to  sacrifice  all  to  her  wish  and 
happiness. 


*  He  had  so  little  money  that  he  was  obliged  to  ask  for  a  few  ducats 
to  give  to  the  church  the  day  of  his  wedding. — {Author's  note.) 
13 


290 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


My  letter  posted,  I  had  the  joy  of  seeing  my  daughter 
regain  her  health  ;  but  alas  !  that  joy  was  the  only  one 
she  gave  me.  Her  father's  answer  having  taken  some  time 
to  reach  us,  owing  to  the  distance,  they  persuaded  her 
I  had  only  written  to  prevent  his  giving  his  consent  to 
what  she  called  her  happiness.  This  suspicion  wounded 
me  deeply ;  but  I  wrote  several  times  and  showed  her  my 
letters,  which  she  posted  herself.  Such  an  act  of  confi- 
dence ought  to  have  undeceived  her ;  but  no,  faithful  to 
the  mistrust  which  they  never  ceased  to  inspire  her  with, 
she  said  one  day  :  "  I  bring  you  your  letters,  but  I  feel 
sure  you  have  written  others  in  a  contrary  sense."  I  felt 
stupefied  and  broken  hearted,  when  just  then  the  post 
arrived,  bringing  M.  Le  Brun's  letter  and  consent.  With- 
out being  considered  pressing,  a  mother  might  have  looked 
for  some  excuses  or  thanks  ;  but  such  was  not  the  case, 
and  my  child  never  showed  the  slightest  contrition  for 
what  she  had  said,  though  I  had  sacrificed  to  her  all  my 
desires  and  intentions. 

The  marriage  was  celebrated  a  few  days  later.  I  gave 
my  daughter  a  handsome  trousseau,  besides  jewellery ; 
and  one  bracelet  surrounded  by  very  fine  diamonds,  on 
which  was  her  father's  portrait,  and  I  placed  her  marriage 
portion,  the  result  of  my  labours  at  St.  Petersburg,  in  the 
hands  of  Livio,  the  banker. 

The  day  after  I  went  to  see  my  daughter;  I  found  her 
very  calm  and  not  at  all  elated  by  her  happiness.  A  fort- 
night later,  being  with  her,  I  said,  "  Thou  art  very  happy, 
I  hope,  now  that  thou  hast  really  married  him  ? "  M. 
Nigris,  who  was  talking  to  some  one,  had  his  back  to  us, 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  29 1 

and  as  he  had  a  bad  cold  he  wore  a  large  overcoat.  She 
replied,  "  I  confess  that  this  fur  garment  disenchants  me  ; 
how  can  I  care  for  such  a  figure  ? "  Thus  a  fortnight  had 
sufficed  for  love  to  fly  away.* 

As  for  me,  the  charm  of  my  life  had  vanished.  I  took 
no  longer  the  same  pleasure  in  my  daughter,  and  yet,  God 
knows  how  much  I  loved  her  still,  in  spite  of  her  faults. 
Shortly  after  her  marriage  she  got  small-pox ;  I  had  never 
had  that  fearful  malady,  but  nothing  could  prevent  my 
going  to  take  care  of  her.  I  found  her  face  so  swelled 
that  I  was  horrified  ;  but  my  fear  was  solely  on  her  ac- 
count, and  as  long  as  the  illness  lasted  I  had  no  thought 
for  myself.  To  my  joy  she  recovered  without  being  dis- 
figured in  the  least.  I  then  decided  on  leaving  St.  Peters- 
burg, where  I  had  suffered  so  much  that  my  health  had 
given  way,  and  on  going  to  Moscow.  It  was  not  that  the 
marriage,  or  even  the  disgraceful  reports  it  had  occasioned, 
had  left  any  traces.  Far  from  that ;  those  who  had  most 
injur-ed  me,  repented  of  their  injustice,  and  Count  Czerni- 
cheff  wrote  me  a  letter  begging  forgiveness  for  his  wrongs 
towards  me  ;  but  all  these  repentances  came  too  late — the 
arrows  had  gone  l;ome,  I  could  not  forget  the  past  and  I 
felt  miserable.  I  did  not  complain  ;  I  kept  silent,  even 
with  my  dearest  friends,  about  my  daughter  and  the  man 
she  had  chosen  for  a  husband.  I  did  not  even  tell  my 
brother  my  grief,  though  I  had  often  written  to  him  since 
he  had  told  me  of  a  fresh  affliction — for  that  was  a 


*  I  must  say  that  M.  Nigris  was  very  kind  and  had  insinuating 
manners ;  they  lived  very  happily  for  some  years. — {Autho7^s  note.) 


292 


SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


mournful  period  of  my  existence — and  I  had  lost  my 
mother. 

So  many  sorrows  all  at  once  made  me  ill,  and  in 
order  to  restore  my  health,  I  decided  on  seeing  what 
change  of  air  would  do  for  me  ;  I  hastened  to  finish  my 
large  portrait  of  the  Empress  Marie,  and  I  left  for  Mos- 
cow the  15th  October  in  the  year  1800 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


A  Bad  Road — Moscow — Comtesse  Strogonoff — Princess  Tufakin— 
Marechale  Soltikoff — Prince  Alexander  Kourakin — Visit  to  an 
Englishwoman — Prince  Bezborodko — I  return  to  St.  Petersburg. 

T  would  be  difficult,  I  believe,  to  undergo 
greater  fatigues  than  those  which  awaited  me 
on  the  way  to  Moscow.  The  roads  which  I 
had  hoped  to  find  frozen  were  not  so  ;  my  carriage  kept 
bumping  in  and  out  of  the  slush,  and  gave  us  such  fearful 
jolts  that  I  expected  to  die  at  any  moment.  In  order  to 
get  a  little  respite  from  this  torture,  I  stopped  half  way 
and  got  down  at  the  Inn  of  Novgorod,  (the  only  one  on 
the  route)  in  which  I  had  been  told  I  should  be  well 
cared  for  and  well  fed.  Being  in  great  need  of  rest,  and 
half  dead  with  hunger  and  fatigue,  I  asked  for  a  room. 
Barely  was  I  installed  in  it,  than  I  noticed  a  most  curious 
smell  which  nearly  made  me  sick.  The  master  of  the  inn, 
when  I  begged  him  to  give  me  another  room,  was  unable 
^to  do  so,  so  I  resigned  myself  to  my  fate  ;  but  soon  per- 
ceiving that  this  intolerable  odour  seemed  to  enter  by  a 
glass  door  which  was  in  the  room,  I  called  to  the  waiter 
and  interrogated  him  on  the  subject. 

"  Ah  !  *'  said  he  quietly,  "  there  is  a  man  behind  that 

293 


294  SOUVENIRS  OF 

door  who  died  yesterday ;  no  doubt  he  is  the  cause  of 
what  Madame  complains." 

I  asked  no  more  questions  ;  I  arose,  had  the  horses 
harnessed  once  more,  and  left,  only  taking  with  me  a 
piece  of  bread  for  the  remainder  of  the  journey  to  Mos- 
cow. 

I  at  last  reached  this  ancient  and  immense  capital.  I 
fancied  myself  entering  Ispahan,  of  which  I  had  seen  sev- 
eral pictures,  so  different  did  Moscow  seem  from  any 
other  European  city.  Therefore  I  shall  not  attempt  to 
describe  the  effect  produced  on  me  by  its  golden  domes, 
broad  streets,  and  superb  palaces  ;  for  to  have  a  correct 
idea  of  Moscow  it  ought  to  be  visited. 

I  descended  at  the  palace  kindly  placed  at  my  disposal 
by  M.  Demidoff.  No  one  inhabited  it,  so  I  rejoiced  in 
the  thought  of  perfect  quiet.  After  all  my  fatigues  and 
privations,  my  first  desire,  after  having  satisfied  my  appe- 
tite, was  to  sleep  ;  but  alas  !  towards  five  in  the  morning 
I  was  roused  by  a  fearful  noise.  A  band  of  Russian 
musicians,  each  harping  on  one  note,  had  taken  possession 
of  the  room  next  mine  for  their  practice.  This  room  be- 
ing very  spacious  was  most  likely  the  only  one  suited  to 
this  performance.  I  took  care  to  ask  the  concierge  if  that 
entertainment  went  on  every  day,  and  on  his  answering 
me,  that  the  palace  being  empty  the  most  spacious  apart- 
ment was  devoted  to  that  practice,  I  resolved  on  seeking 
a  lodging  elsewhere  and  not  interfering  with  the  habits  of 
the  house. 

I  went  very  quickly  to  visit  Countess  Strogonoff,  the 
wife  of  my  good  old  friend ;  I  found  her  perched  on  a 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  295 

very  high  chair  that  rocked  to  and  fro  without  ceasing.  •  I 
could  not  understand  •  how  she  managed  to  endure  the 
continual  movement,  but  she  had  need  of  it  for  her 
health  ;  she  was  unable  to  walk  or  help  herself  at  all, 
which  however  did  not  prevent  her  from  being  amiable. 
I  told  her  of  my  worry  about  apartments,  she  at  once  said 
she  had  a  pretty  house,  not  inhabited,  and  begged  me  to 
live  there  ;  but  as  she  refused  to  hear  of  any  payment,  I 
refused  most  positively.  Seeing  that  it  was  vain  to  try 
and  persuade  me,  she  introduced  her  daughter  who  was 
Very  pretty,  and  asked  me  for  the  portrait  of  this  young 
lady  as  an  equivalent,  which  I  accepted  with  pleasure.  A 
few  days  afterwards  I  established  myself  in  my  new  quar- 
ters where  I  hoped  to  find  peace,  since  at  least  I  shoi^'*^ 
be  by  myself. 

As  soon  as  I  was  installed  in  my  new  abode  I  began  to 
visit  the  city,  as  much  at  least  as  the  weather  would  per- 
mit me  to  do  ;  for  during  the  five  months  I  spent  in  Mos- 
cow the  snow  never  melted,  which  deprived  me  of  the 
pleasure  of  beholding  the  environs  which  I  believe  are 
very  beautiful  One  of  the  usual  customs  at  Moscow,  as 
well  as  St.  Petersburg,  was  that  of  vapour  baths.  There 
were  some  for  women  and  men  ;  only  the  latter  after  they 
have  taken  their  bath,  from  which  they  issue  red  like 
lobsters,  rush  out  quite  naked  and  even  in  extreme  cold 
roll  themselves  in  the  snow.  To  this  habit  are  attributed 
the  strength  and  healthiness  of  the  Russians.  Certainly 
chest  and  lung  diseases,  and  rheumatism  are  unknown  to 
them. 

I  had  noticed  at  St.  Petersburg  that  the  aristocracy 


296 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


seemed  to  form  one  family,  all  the  nobles  were  related  to 
each  other  ;  at  Moscow,  where  the  population  was  much 
larger  and  the  aristocracy  more  numerous,  society  was  not 
so  private.  For  instance,  six  or  seven  thousand  people 
could  be  present  in  the  ball-room,  where  the  highest  of 
the  land  used  to  congregate.  I  went  to  one  of  these  balls, 
and  was  surprised  at  the  large  number  of  pretty  girls  pres- 
ent. I  can  say  the  same  of  a  very  fine  ball  given  by  the 
Marechale  Soltikoff.  The  young  women  were  nearly  all 
beautiful,  and  wore  the  antique  costume  which  I  had  rec- 
ommended to  the  notice  of  the  Grand-Duchess  EHzabeth 
for  the  Empress  Catherine's  ball.  They  wore  cashmere 
tunics  edged  with  gold  fringe  ;  splendid  diamonds  were 
attached  to  their  short  sleeves,  and  their  Greek  head- 
dresses were  adorned  with  narrow  bands  covered  with 
brilliants.  It  was  impossible  for  anything  to  look  richer 
or  more  elegant  than  these  costumes  ;  they  increased  the 
charms  of  these  lovely  women  still  more,  owing  to  their 
grace.  One  of  those  I  admired  most,  was  a  young  lady 
who  shortly  after  married  the  Prince  Tufakin.  Her  fea- 
tures were  very  fine  and  regular,  but  her  expression  was 
extremely  melancholy.  When  she  was  married  I  began 
her  portrait,  but  could  only  finish  the  head  at  Moscow,  so 
that  I  carried  the  picture  away  to  complete  it  at  St. 
Petersburg,  where  I  soon  heard  of  the  death  of  the  pretty 
original.  She  was  barely  seventeen.  I  painted  her  as 
Iris,  with  a  flowing  scarf,  seated  on  clouds. 

The  Marechale  Soltikoff  had  one  of  the  nicest  houses  in 
Moscow.  I  paid  her  a  visit  on  my  arrival,  and  she  re- 
ceived me  most  courteously.    Her  husband  was  then 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  297 

Governor  of  this  city.  She  asked  me  to  paint  the  Mar- 
shal's portrait  and  that  of  his  daughter,  who  had  married 
one  of  Count  Vladimir's  sons,  so  that  in  about  ten  days  I 
had  already  commenced  six  portraits,  when  an  accident, 
which  nearly  cost  me  my  life,  deprived  me  of  my  studio 
and  delayed  the  execution  of  my  work. 

I  enjoyed  perfect  quiet  in  the  house  lent  me  by  the 
Comtesse  Strogonoff  ;  but  as  it  had  not  been  inhabited 
for  seven  years,  the  cold  was  intense.  I  tried  to  remedy 
it  by  heating  all  the  stoves  to  their  utmost  extent.  This 
precaution  did  not  prevent  my  being  obliged  to  leave  a 
fire  in  my  room  at  night,  and  I  was  so  frozen,  when  in 
bed,  that  I  rolled  my  head  up  in  my  pillow  and  tied  it 
round  with  a  piece  of  ribbon  at  the  risk  of  being  stifled. 

One  night  after  I  had  been  asleep,  I  was  awoke  by  an 
asphyxiating  smoke.  I  had  just  time  to  ring  for  my  maid, 
who  persisted  in  saying  she  had  put  out  all  the  fires. 

"  Open  the  door,"  said  I,  and  barely  had  she  done  so 
when  the  room  was  filled  with  thick  smoke.  We  were 
obliged  to  break  the  windows  :  but  as  I  was  ignorant  of 
the  cause  of  this  smoke,  I  felt  most  uneasy.  At  last  I 
saw  one  of  the  men  who  had  lighted  the  stoves,  and  he 
told  me  he  had  forgotten  to  open  the  chimney  which 
closes  the  stoves,  which  is,  I  believe,  placed  outside  the 
house. 

Being  relieved  from  the  fear  of  having  set  fire  to  the 
Comtesse  Strogonoff's  house,  I  visited  my  rooms,  cold 
though  I  was.  Near  the  salon  where  I  gave  my  sittings 
was  a  large  stove,  before  which  I  had  placed  the  portrait 
of  the  Marechale  Soltikoff  to  dry  ;  it  was  so  baked  and 
13* 


298 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


charred  that  I  had  to  recommence  it.  But  my  greatest 
anxiety  was  for  some  paintings  by  great  masters  belonging 
to  my  husband,  which  I  had  left  in  a  room  near  my  sleep- 
ing apartment.  I  knew  they  would  suffer  if  they  were  not 
removed.  It  was  five  in  the  morning.  The  smoke  had 
barely  dispersed,  and  since  we  had  broken  the  glass  win- 
dows, the  place  was  not  habitable.  What  was  I  to  do  ?  I 
decided  on  sending  over  to  kind  Madame  Ducrest  de 
Villeneuve  ;  she  came  at  once  and  took  me  back  to  her 
house,  where  I  remained  for  a  fortnight,  during  which 
time  this  charming  woman  treated  me  with  a  kindness  I 
shall  never  forget. 

When  I  thought  it  time  to  return  to  my  own  home,  I 
went  first  with  M.  Ducrest  de  Villeneuve  to  see  how  it 
looked.  Although  the  window  panes  had  not  been  re- 
placed, the  whole  house  had  such  a  strong  smell  of  fire 
smoke,  that  I  should  have  found  it  impossible  to  live 
there  so  soon.  I  felt  very  perplexed,  when  Count  Gre- 
goire  Orloff,  with  that  courtesy,  which  is  really  natural  to 
Russians,  came  and  offered  me  a  house  belonging  to  him 
which  was  empty  at  the  time.  I  accepted  this  offer  and 
established  myself  in  this  new  abode,  where  I  must  say 
the  rain  soaked  through  the  roof  to  such  an  extent,  that 
Marshal  Soltikoff,  who  came  to  see  me,  having  expressed 
a  desire  to  see  my  paintings  which  were  exposed  in  one  of 
the  rooms,  asked  me  for  an  umbrella.  Notwithstanding 
this  new  annoyance,  I  remained  in  this  house  till  my  de- 
parture. 

I  dined  once  with  a  Prince  Galitzin,  whose  charming 
manners  made  him  generally  beloved,  although  he  was  too 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  299 

old  to  sit  at  table  with  his  guests  who  numbered  about 
forty  ;  the  exquisite  and  abundant  repast  lasted  over  three 
hours,  which  fatigued  me  dreadfully,  added  to  which  I 
was  placed  in  front  of  immense  windows  and  nearly 
blinded  by  the  glare.  This  festivity  seemed  insupportable 
to  me  ;  but  I  had  some  compensation  before  sitting  down, 
in  seeing  a  very  old  gallery  of  paintings  by  the  old  masters. 
Prince  Galitzin,  whose  age  and  infirmities  prevented  him 
leaving  his  arm-chair,  had  requested  his  nephew  to  do  me 
the  honours  of  it.  This  young  man  who  did  not  know 
much  about  painting,  explained  the  subjects  as  well  as  he 
could,  and  I  found  it  difficult  to  keep  from  laughing, 
when,  before  a  picture  representing  Psyche,  not  being  able 
to  pronounce  this  word,  he  said  : 
"  This  is  Fiche  !  " 

This  long  repast  at  Prince  Galitzin's  recalls  another  to 
my  mind  which  I  believe  has  never  finished.  I  was  invited 
to  dine  at  a  banker's,  a  rich,  fat  man.  We  were  eighteen 
at  table  ;  but  never  did  I  behold  more  ugly  or  insignifi- 
cant faces  ;  when  I  had  gazed  at  them  all  once,  I  dared 
not  raise  my  eyes  for  fear  of  seeing  them  again.  There 
was  no  conversation,  and  they  might  have  been  taken  for 
wooden  figures  had  they  not  eaten  like  ogres.  Four  hours 
passed  I  felt  so  tired  I  nearly  fainted  ;  at  last  I  feigned 
sudden  indisposition  and  left  them  at  table,  where  most 
likely  they  are  now. 

That  was  an  unlucky  day  for  me  ;  I  now  forget  for 
what  reason  I  was  obliged  to  visit  an  English  lady.  I  was 
taken  to  see  her  by  an  acquaintance  who  left  me,  prom- 
ising to  return  and  fetch  me  afterwards.   As  ill  luck  would 


300 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


have  it,  this  EngHsh  lady  did  not  understand  a  word  of 
French  and  I  not  a  word  of  EngHsh,  so  that  we  were  both 
in  a  great  predicament.  I  can  see  her  now,  seated  before 
a  small  table  on  which  were  two  candlesticks,  which  lit 
up  her  white  face.  She  spoke  to  me  out  of  politeness  in 
her  language  which  I  did  not  understand,  and  in  return  I 
spoke  French  which  was  equally  unintelligible  to  her.  We 
thus  remained  together  for  over  an  hour,  which  seemed  to 
me  more  like  a  century,  and  I  believe  the  poor  English- 
woman found  it  just  as  long  also. 

At  the  time  I  lived  in  Moscow,  the  richest  man  there 
and  perhaps  in  Russia  was  Prince  Bezborodko  ;  they  said 
he  could  raise  on  his  estates  an  army  of  thirteen  thousand 
men.  His  numerous  palaces  were  full  of  slaves,  whom  he 
treated  v/ith  the  greatest  kindness  and  had  them  taught 
different  trades.  He  was  a  very  talented  man  ;  and  was 
employed  in  the  reigns  of  Catherine  I.,  and  Paul  H.,  first 
as  Secretary  to  the  Cabinet,  and  then  as  Secretary  of  State 
in  1780.  From  a  desire  to  escape  the  numerous  petitions 
•  which  were  addressed  to  him,  he  did  not  make  himself 
easy  of  access  ;  women  sometimes  followed  him  into  his 
carriage  when  he  said  in  answer  to  their  demands  :  "  I 
shall  forget  it ;  "  and  if  a  petition  was  in  questio'h  ;  "  I 
shall  lose  it  !  " 

^  He  possessed  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  Russian 
language  and  literature,  besides  a  wonderful  memory. 
One  well-known  story  about  him  will  prove  the  truth  of 
this.  He  received  one  day  from  the  Empress  Catherine 
an  order  to  draw  out  a  new  Ukase,  which  he  forgot  to  do, 
owing  to  being  much  engaged.    The  next  time  he  met  the 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  30I 

Empress,  she  demanded  her  Ukase.  Bezborodko  was  not 
at  all  disconcerted.  He  drew  out  a  paper  from  his  pocket, 
and  improvised,  without  the  slightest  hesitation,  the  whole 
project  of  the  law.  Catherine  was  so  satisfied  with  this 
composition  that  she  took  the  paper  from  him,  but  her 
astonishment  was  excessive  on  finding  it  a  blank  page. 
Bezborodko  was  about  to  make  many  apologies,  but  she 
silenced  him  with  compliments,  and  next  day  made  him 
her  Privy  Councillor. 

The  numerous  portraits  I  had  been  asked  to  paint,  and 
the  pleasant  society  I  had  formed  round  me  at  Moscow 
ought  to  have  kept  me  for  some  time  in  this  city,  where  I 
only  spent  five  months,  six  weeks  of  which  were  passed  in 
my  room.  But  I  was  sad  and  ill,  I  needed  rest  and  a 
milder  climate,  so  I  resolved  to  return  to  St.  Petersburg, 
see  my  daughter,  and  leave  Russia.  Soon  after,  I  an- 
nounced my  intended  departure  and  said  my  adieux. 
Everything  was  done  to  retain  me,  but  without  avail. 
Many  people,  I  now  fancy,  were  cognisant  of  the  coming 
Revolution,  and  they  implored  me  to  delay  my  journey 
for  a  few  days,  saying  they  would  go  with  me  to  St.  Peters- 
burg ;  but,  being  totally  ignorant  of  the  plot,  I  persisted 
in  starting,  which  was  foolish  of  me,  for  by  waiting  a  little, 
I  should  have  avoided  the  fatigues  I  underwent  on  the 
fearful  roads,  rendered  nearly  impassable  by  the  thaw. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


Death  of  Paul  I. — Joy  of  the  Russians — Details  of  the  Assassination 
— The  Emperor  Alexander  1. — I  paint  his  portrait  and  that  of  the 
Empress  Elizabeth — I  leave  Russia. 

N  the  1 2th  of  March,  1801,  halfway  between 
Moscow  and  Saint  Petersburg,  I  learned  the 
death  of  Paul  I.  I  saw  before  the  post-house 
numbers  of  couriers,  who  were  going  to  spread  the  news 
through  the  Empire,  and  as  they  took  all  the  horses,  I  was 
unable  to  procure  any  for  myself.  I  was  compelled  to 
remain  i^  my  carriage  by  the  road-side  all  night.  There 
was  an  icy  wind  and  I  was  nearly  frozen.  At  last  I  pro- 
cured some  horses  and  did  not  arrive  at  St.  Petersburg  till 
eight  or  nine  o'clock  the  following  day. 

I  found  the  city  in  transports  of  delight ;  people  were 
singing  and  dancing  in  the  streets.  Many  of  my  acquaint- 
ances rushed  to  my  carriage  and  shook  my  hands,  saying, 
"  What  a  deliverance  !  "  The  evening  before  the  houses 
were  illuminated.  In  fact,  the  death  of  this  unfortunate 
prince  was  a  most  joyful  event  for  the  public. 

All  the  details  of  this  tragedy  were  well  known,  and  I 
can  assert  that  the  accounts  I  received  that  day  were  con- 
sistent one  with  the  other,  Palhen,  one  of  the  conspira- 
tors, did  his  utmost  to  terrify  Paul  about  a  plot  arranged 

302 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  3O3 

by  the  Empress  and  her  children,  he  said,  to  possess  the 
throne.  Paul's  usual  mistrust  made  him  lend  a  too  ready- 
ear  to  these  false  reports,  and  they  irritated  him  so  much 
that  he  ended  by  commanding  the  perfidious  Minister  tb 
conduct  his  wife  and  children  to  the  fortress.  Palhen  re- 
fused to  do  so  unless  he  had  an  order  signed  by  the  Em- 
peror ;  and  Palhen  immediately  took  it  to  Alexander  and 
showed  it  to  him.  "  You  see,"  said  he,  that  your  father 
is  mad,  and  you  are  all  lost  unless  you  prevent  his  doing 
further  harm  by  shutting  him  up."  Alexander,  who  saw 
that  his  liberty  and  that  of  his  household  was  menaced, 
only  gave,  by  his  silence,  a  tacit  consent  to  this  project, 
which  consisted  in  making  a  maniac  powerless  to  do  fur- 
ther evil ;  but  Palhen  and  his  accomplices  thought  neces- 
sary to  do  even  more  than  that. 

Five  conspirators  were  chosen  for  the  execution  of  the 
deed,  and  one  of  them  was  Platon  Zouboff,  Catherine's 
former  favourite,  whom  Paul  had  covered  with  honours 
after  recalling  him  from  exile.  All  five  entered  Paul's 
room  ;  he  was  in  bed.  The  two  guards  placed  at  the  door 
defended  the  entrance  most  courageously,  so  that  one  was 
killed  ;  *  but  they  resisted  to  no  purpose.  At  the  sight  of 
these  furious  men,  Paul  arose.  As  he  was  very  strong,  he 
struggled  for  some  time  against  his  assassins,  who  at  last 
strangled  him  in  his  arm-chair.  The  wretched  man  cried 
out,  "You,  too,  Zouboff  !  you  whom  I  thought  a  friend  !  " 
-  and  with  these  words  he  expired. 


*  The  Empress  Marie  took  the  other  into  her  service. — {Author's 
Note,) 


304  SOUVENIRS  OF  ^ 

It  seemed  as  though  fate  had  so  arranged  the  circum- 
stances of  this  plot  as  to  favour  it  entirely.  A  regiment 
had  been  chosen  to  defend  the  palace,  and,  far  from  the 
colonel  being  in  the  confidence  of  the  conspirators,  this 
officer  was  convinced  he  had  to  guard  against  a  plot  which 
would  take  place  against  the  Emperor's  life.  A  portion 
of  the  regiment  went  into  the  garden,  and  were  placed 
under  Paul's  window,  but  neither  the  noise  made  by  the 
soldiers  awoke  him  nor  that  of  some  rooks  that  usually 
roosted  on  the  roof,  and  that  croaked  violently.  Had  it 
been  otherwise,  the  unfortunate  Prince  might  have  had 
time  to  reach  a  secret  staircase  near  his  room,  by  which 
he  could  have  entered  the  apartment  of  Madame  Narisch- 
kin,  in  whom  he  had  every  confidence.  Once  there,  he 
might  have  escaped  down  the  canal  by  a  little  boat. 
Moreover,  the  distrust  he  had  of  his  wife  had  caused  him 
to  double-lock  the  doors  which  separated  his  rooms  from 
those  of  the  Empress.  When  he  tried  this  door,  it  was  too 
late.  The  assassins  had  taken  the  key.  Koutaisoff,  his 
faithful  valet,  received  that  very  day  a  letter  warning  him 
of  the  plot ;  but  this  man,  whose  love  for  Madame  Cheva- 
lier and  jealousy  of  the  Emperor  had  rendered  him  quite 
idiotic,  neglected  most  of  his  duties,  and  did  not  even 
open  his  letters  to. read  their  contents.  He  left  on  his 
table  the  one  containing  the  revelation  of  the  conspiracy, 
and  when  he  opened  it  the  next  day,  the  miserable  man 
nearly  died  of  despair.  It  was  the  same  with  the  colonel 
who  had  taken  his  regiment  to  the  palace.  This  young 
man,  Talaisin  by  name,  when  he  was  told  of  the  crime 
which  had  been  committed,  felt  so  annoyed  at  being  out- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


witted,  that  he  was  seized  with  a  violent  fever  and  became 
dangerously  ill.  I  believe  that  he  did  not  long  survive  his 
remorse,  innocent  though  he  was  ;  but  what  I  know  for  a 
fact  is,  that  the  Emperor  Alexander  I.  went  to  see  him 
every  day  whilst  he  was  ill,  and  forbade  the  rifle  practice 
which  took  place  near  the  sick  man's  house. 

Notwithstanding  the  obstacles  of  which  I  have  spoken 
against  the  committal  of  the  crime,  it  is  to  be  believed 
that  the  authors  of  the  deed  had  no  doubt  as  to  the  result ; 
for  it  was  well  known  in  St.  Petersburg  that  a  young  man 

called  S  ky,  one  of  the  conspirators,  pulled  out  his 

watch  towards  midnight,  and  said  in  the  midst  of  several 
people  : 

•  "  It  must  be  all  over  now  !  '* 

Paul  was  then  dead,  his  body  was  embalmed  and  ex- 
posed for  six  weeks  on  a  state  bed,  the  face  uncovered  and 
very  little  decomposed,  for  they  had  put  on  rouge.  The 
Empress  Marie,  his  widow,  went  every  day  and  knelt  and 
prayed  before  this  funeral  couch  ;  she  had  her  youngest 
sons  with  her,  Nicholas  and  Michael,  who  were  of  such 
tender  years  that  the  former  asked  her  once  : 
Why  papa  was  always  asleep  ?  " 

The  ruse  which  was  employed  to  make  Alexander  I. 
consent  to  his  father's  dethronement,  for  he  never  enter- 
tained another  thought,  is  a  fact  which  I  know  from  Count 
Strogonoff,  one  of  the  most  truthful  of  men,  and  who  knew 
more  than  anyone  else  what  passed  at  the  Russian  Court ; 
he  was  aware  of  the  ease  with  which  Paul  must  have  been 
made  to  sign  the  order  for  the  imprisonment  of  the 
Empress  and  her  children,  for  he  knew  the  fearful  suspi- 


3o6 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


cions  with  which  this  wretched  Prince  was  tormented.  The 
day  of  the  murder  there  was  in  the  evening  a  grand  Court 
concert,  at  which  all  the  Royal  family  were  present.  Once, 
when  the  Emperor  was  talking  apart  to  Count  Strogonoff, 
he  said  : 

"  You  think,  no  doubt,  that  I  am  one  of  the  happiest  of 
mortals  ?  I  live  in  this  Palace  of  St.  Michel  which  I  built 
myself,  and  I  have  decorated  it  to  my  own  taste.  I  have 
assembled  around  me  for  the  first  time  my  whole  family  ; 
my  wife  is  still  beautiful,  my  eldest  son  is  also  very  hand- 
some, my  daughters  are  charming ;  there  they  are  all 
before  me,  well,  when  I  look  at  them  I  see  in  them  my 
assassins.*'    Count  Strogonoff  drew  back  horrified. 

"You  are  deceived,  Sire,  it  is  an  atrocious  calumny." 

Paul  fixed  his  haggard  eyes  on  him,  and  squeezing  his 
hand,  said  : 

What  I  say  to  you  is  the  truth." 

The  miserable  monarch  was  haunted  by  the  thought  of 
his  death.  Count  Strogonoff  also  told  me  that,  the  day 
before,  Paul  had  said  to  him  in  the  morning,  on  looking 
into  the  glass  and  seeing  his  mouth  was  on  one  side  : 

When  that  happens  to  a  man,  dear  Count,  it  is  time 
for  him  to  prepare  for  his  journey." 

I  firmly  believe  that  Alexander  was  not  aware  of  the 
attempt  on  his  father's  life  ;  nothing  could  make  me 
believe  the  contrary;  there  was  nothing  to  prove  it  at  that 
time,  and  the  knowledge  I  had  of  this  Prince's  character 
gave  me  the  assurance  of  his  innocence.  Alexander  I. 
was  very  noble  and  generous,  he  was  always  of  a  religious 
disposition,  and  was  so  frank  by  nature,  that  he  never 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  30/ 

made  use  of  astuteness  or  deceit,  even  in  his  policy  ;  and 
on  learning  that  Paul  was  no  more,  his  grief  was  so  great 
that  none  of  those  about  him  doubted  of  his  innocence  in 
this  murder.  At  first  he  refused  to  reign  ;  and  Elizabeth, 
his  wife,  threw  herself  on  her  knees  to  implore  him  to 
become  Emperor.  He  then  went  to  the  Empress,  his 
mother,  who  called  out : 

"  Away  !  away  !  I  see  you  covered  with  your  father's 
blood." 

Alexander  raised  his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  said  from  the 
depths  of  his  heart : 

"  I  take  God  to  witness,  my  mother,  that  I  did  not  order 
this  fearful  crime." 

r  Such  an  accent  of  truth  was  in  these  few  words  that  the 
Empress  consented  to  listen  to  him.  When  she  learnt  how 
the  conspirators  had  deceived  her  son  as  to  the  result  of 
their  enterprise,  she  threw  herself  at  his  feet,  saying,  "  I 
salute  thee,  my  Emperor."  Alexander  raised  her,  and 
kneeling  before  her,  clasped  her  in  his  arms,  and  paid  her 
every  mark  of  love  and  respect. 

This  love  never  wavered.  As  long  as  he  lived,  the  Em- 
peror Alexander  refused  his  mother  nothing  ;  and  he  had 
such  a  great  respect  for  her  that  she  never  missed  the 
honours  of  her  Court ;  she  generally  walked  before  the 
Empress  Elizabeth. 

Paul's  death  gave  rise  to  none  of  those  reactions  which 
follow  too  often  the  death  of  a  sovereign.  All  those 
who  had  enjoyed  the  favour  of  that  Prince  preserved  the 
advantages  they  owed  to  his  protection  ;  Koutaisoff,  his 
valet,  the  barber  whom  he  had  so  much  enriched  and 


3o8 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


decorated  with  some  of  the  first  Russian  orders,  remained 
quietly  in  possession  of  his  master's  beneficence.  Madame 
ChevaHer,  the  pretty  actress  who  had  played  the  part  of 
favourite,  remained  at  the  St.  Petersburg  theatre  ;  but  as 
she  had  received  from  Paul  a  magnificent  crown  diamond, 
which  was  well  known  in  the  Castle,  several  Court  per- 
sonages, fearing  no  doubt  that  she  would  quit  the  city  on 
learning  of  Paul's  death,  resorted  to  her  house  on  the 
night  of  the  crime  ;  Madame  Chevalier  was  in  bed  and 
asleep,  she  was  roused,  and  her  terror  was  great  on  per- 
ceiving at  such  an  hour  several  people  in  her  rooip  ;  these 
gentlemen  reassured  her,  and  made  her  restore  the  dia- 
mond which  was  of  enormous  value. 

If  nothing  was  changed  in  the~position  of  Paul's  friends, 
it  was  otherwise  with  that  of  his  victims  ;  the  exiles  re- 
turned and  recovered  their  possessions  ;  justice  was  done 
to  all  those  who  had  been  sacrificed  to  numerous  caprices, 
in  fact  a  golden  age  began  for  Russia.  The  enthusiasm 
was  so  great  that  the  highest  happiness  for  all  was  to  see 
and  to  meet  Alexander  ;  if  he  went  to  walk  in  the  evening 
in  the  summer  gardens,  if  he  crossed  the  street,  the  crowd 
encircled  him  and  blessed  him,  and  he,  the  most  affable 
of  princes,  received  with  perfect  grace  the  homage  of 
which  he  was  the  object.  I  could  not  go  to  Moscow  for 
his  coronation  ;  but  many  who  were  present  at  the  cere- 
mony told  me  nothing  could  be  more  touching  or  finer  ; 
when  Alexander  placed  the  diamond  crown  on  the  Em- 
press Elizabeth's  beautiful  head,  they  formed  such  an  ad- 
mirable group  that  the  enthusiasm  reached  its  height. 

In  the  midst  of  this  general  rejoicing  I  had  myself  the 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  3O9 

pleasure  of  meeting  the  Emperor  on  one  of  the  quays  of 
the  Neva,  soon  after  my  arrival.  He  was  on  horseback  ; 
although  Paul's  law  was  abolished,  as  may  be  imagined,  I 
had  stopped  my  carriage  so  as  to  have  the  chance  of 
watching  Alexander  pass  by  ;  he  came  up  to  me  at  once, 
and  asked  me  how  I  had  liked  Moscow,  and  if  I  had  not 
found  the  roads  very  bad,  besides  several  other  flattering 
remarks. 

The  next  day  Count  Strogonoff  came  to  me  from  the 
Emperor,  asking  me  to  make  a  portrait  of  his  bust  and  one 
on  horseback  as  well.  Barely  had  this  news  spread  abroad, 
than  I  was  besieged  by  people  asking  me  for  copies,  either 
of  the  one  on  horseback  or  the  bust ;  it  did  not  matter 
which,  so  long  as  they  had  Alexander's  portrait.  At  any 
other  period  of  my  existence  this  circumstance  would  have 
been  the  making  of  my  fortune  ;  but  alas  !  my  bodily 
health,  not  to  mention  the  m.ental  worries  with  which  I 
was  still  tormented,  would  not  permit  me  to  profit  by  it. 
Not  feeling  well  enough  to  commence  the  full  length  por- 
trait, I  drew  in  pastels  the  busts  of  the  Emperor  and  Em- 
press, as  they  would  aid  me  afterwards  in  making  larger 
portraits  at  Dresden  or  Berlin,  if  I  should  be  compelled  to 
leave  St.  Petersburg  ;  in  fact  I  became  very  ill,  and  my 
doctor  told  me  I  ought  to  drink  the  Carlsbad  waters  for 
my  complaint.  As  soon  as  I  had  decided  on  my  depart- 
ure, I  begged  an  audience  of  the  Empress,  which  was  at 
once  accorded,  and  I  went  to  see  her,  the  Emperor  also 
being  present.  I  told  their  Majesties  how  deeply  and  sin- 
cerely I  regretted  that  my  health  obliged  me  to  leave  to  go 
to  Carlsbad,  whereupon  the  Emperor  replied  most  cordi- 


310         SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 

ally  :  "  Do  not  go.  You  seek  a  remedy  which  is  a  long 
way  off  ;  I  will  give  you  the  Empress's  horse,  and  when 
you  have  had  a  few  rides,  you  will  be  quite  well  again."  I 
thanked  him  a  hundred  times  for  this  offer,  but  confessed 
I  did  not  know  how  to  ride.  "Well,"  said  he,  "I  will 
give  you  a  groom  to  conduct  you  !  "  I  felt  inexpressibly 
touched  by  such  great  kindness,  and  when  I  took  my 
leave  of  their  Majesties  I  could  not  find  terms  sufficient 
to  express  my  gratitude. 

Neither  these  two  Sovereigns,  or  the  people  who  showed 
such  a  flattering  interest  in  me  during  my  stay  at  St. 
Petersburg  and  at  my  departure,  ever  knew  with  what  grief 
I  left  that  city.  When  I  passed  the  Russian  frontier,  I 
burst  into  tears,  and  made  up  my  mind  to  revisit  those 
who  had  for  so  long  shown  me  every  mark  of  friendliness 
and  affection  ;  but  it  was  my  destiny,  or  fate,  never  to  see 
again  the  land  which  I  still  consider  as  my  second  coun- 
try. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


Narva — Berlin — M.  Ranspach — The  Queen  of  Prussia — Her  Family 
— The  Peacock's  Island — General  Bournonville. 

QUITTED  St.  Petersburg  feeling  ill  and  sad. 
I  was  alone  in  my  carriage,  for  I  had  been 
obliged  to  part  with  my  maid,  a  Russian,  so  I 
took  with  me  only  a  very  old  man  who  wished  to  go  to 
Prussia,  and  whom  out  of  pity  I  had  engaged  as  a  domes- 
tic, a  circumstance  I  speedily  repented  of,  for  this  man 
got  so  drunk  at  every  post-house  that  he  had  to  be  car- 
ried back  to  his  seat.  M.  de  Riviere,  who  accompanied 
me  in  his  carriage,  was  not  of  much  assistance,  especially 
after  we  had  passed  the  Russian  frontier  and  reached  the 
sandy  districts ;  for  his  postillions  would  insist  on  taking 
him  along  all  the  by-roads  whilst  I  followed  the  grand 
route. 

My  first  stoppage  was  at  Narva,  an  ugly  and  badly 
paved  little  town,  very  well  fortified;  the  women  wore  an- 
tique costumes  and  were  handsome — as  a  rule  Livonians 
are  very  good  looking ;  nearly  all  the  old  men  reminded 
me  of  Raffaelle's  pictures,  and  the  younger  ones,  with 
their  flowing  hair,  might  have  stood  for  models  to  that 
great  master. 

311 


312 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


The  day  after  my  arrival  I  visited  a  splendid  water-fall 
at  some  distance  from  the  town ;  whilst  I  was  gazing  at 
this  beautiful  spectacle,  several  of  the  inhabitants  of  Narva 
who  had  been  watching  me  drawing  told  me  of  a  fearful 
scene  which  they  had  witnessed. 

The  waters  of  the  cascades  having  overflowed,  owing  to 
the  heavy  rains,  washed  away  some  of  the  land  on  one 
side  with  a  house  containing  a  large  family.  They  could 
hear  the  shrieks  of  these  unfortunates  and  watch  their  de- 
spair without  being  able  to  succour  them,  as  no  boat  could 
cross  the  torrent,  and  at  last  a  more  horrible  sight  fol- 
lowed when  the  house  and  all  its  inmates  disappeared 
into  the  gulf  before  the  eyes  of  those  who  told  me  the 
tale. 

I  reached  Riga  afterwards  ;  this  town  was  neither  pretty 
nor  well  paved,  but  was  very  commercial  and  had  a  fine 
port.  Most  of  the  men  were  dressed  either  as  Turks  or 
Poles,  and  all  the  women  not  belonging  to  the  lower  orders 
wore,  when  out  of  doors,  a  black  gauze  veil  on  their  heads. 
I  had  no  time  to  make  other  observations,  for  I  was  in  a 
hurry  to  reach  Mittau  where  I  hoped  to  find  the  royal 
family  ;  but  I  had  the  disappointment  of  arriving  too  late 
and  not  seeing  them,  so  that  my  stay  in  that  town  was  of 
short  duration. 

The  state  of  my  health  and  mind  had  such  a  great  in- 
fluence on  the  surrounding  objects,  that  I  remembered 
more  than  once  with  what  pleasure  I  had  traversed,  in  go- 
ing to  St.  Petersburg,  the  road  I  was  passing  so  sadly  then. 
In  those  days  Courland  had  enchanted  me,  the  magnificent 
oak  forests,  lakes  and  lovely  hills  and  valleys  had  been 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  313 

peopled  in  my  happy  imagination  with  thousands  of  smil- 
ing and  poetical  ideas.  But  on  my  return  all  was  changed, 
my  sadness  and  sufferings  destroyed  it  entirely,  and  I 
barely  glanced  at  the  beautiful  scenery. 

At  Konigsberg  I  took  the  regular  postal  conveyance  to 
Berlin,  which  I  reached  towards  the  end  of  July,  1801,  at 
ten  in  the  evening,  but  notwithstanding  my  need  of  repose 
I  had  to  undergo  the  torments  of  the  custom-house.  They 
made  me  stop  in  a  dark  vaulted  room  for  over  two  hours ; 
the  customs  officials  wished  to  keep  my  carriage  and  in- 
spect it  that  night,  which  would  have  obliged  me  to  walk 
in  a  drenching  rain  to  the  inn.  They  would  not  even  al- 
low me  to  take  out  my  night-cap  and  some  medicine  bot- 
tles, but  finally  I  obtained  permission  to  leave  the  place  in . 
my  carriage,  and  I  drove  to  the  hotel  Ville  de  Paris,  with 
one  of  the  officials,  a  regular  demon,  who  was  quite  drunk 
all  the  time.  He  untied  my  parcels,  and  tumbled  every- 
thing upside  down,  carrying  off  a  piece  of  Indian  muslin 
which  had  been  given  me  by  Madame  du  Barri,  when  I 
left  Paris.  The  next  day  I  sent  early  for  M.  Ranspach, 
my  banker,  who  settled  all  my  grievances  ;  and  made  them 
restore  me  my  piece  of  muslin  without  having  anything  to 
pay,  and  the  head  of  the  custom-house  made  me  many 
apologies  for  what  had  happened.  M.  Ranspach  was  most 
kind,  I  dined  with  him  some  days  later  and  met  several  of 
his  compatriots,  who  combined  with  much  learning  the 
merit  of  not  being  pedantic,  and  whose  conversation  inter- 
ested me  extremely. 

Three  days  sufficed  to  restore  me  from  my  fatigues,  and  I 
felt  much  better,  when  the  Queen  of  Prussia,  who  was  not 
14 


314 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


at  Berlin,  had  the  goodness  to  ask  me  to  visit  her  at  Pots- 
dam, where  she  wished  me  to  take  her  portrait. 

I  left ;  but  here  my  pen  is  powerless  to  describe  the  im- 
pression made  on  me  by  this  Princess.  The  charm  of  her 
lovely  face  with  its  fine  and  regular  features  ;  her  beautiful 
figure,  neck,  and  arms,  and  the  dazzling  whiteness  of  her 
complexion,  everything  about  her  surpassed  my  expecta- 
tions. She  was  clad  in  deep  mourning,  with  a  head-dress 
of  wheat-ears  in  black  jet,  which  added  still  more  to  the 
brilliancy  of  her  skin.  She  decided  on  the  day  for  her 
first  sitting. 

"I  cannot  give  you  one  before  twelve,"  she  said,  "for 
the  King  reviews  his  troops  every  day  at  ten  and  likes  me 
to  be  present." 

She  offered  me  an  apartment  in  the  castle,  but  knowing 
that  in  accepting  it  I  should  inconvenience  one  of  her 
ladies,  I  thanked  her,  and  lodged  in  a  furnished  hotel 
where  I  was  very  uncomfortable. 

My  sojourn  at  Potsdam  was  very  enjoyable.  The  more 
I  saw  of  this  charming  Queen  the  more  pleasure  I  felt  in 
approaching  her.  She  expressed  a  desire  to  see  the  studies 
I  had  made  of  the  Emperor  Alexander  and  the  Empress 
Elizabeth,  and  was  much  satisfied  with  them  ;  she  was  so 
amiable  and  kind  that  the  attachment  I  felt  for  her 
amounted  almost  to  love. 

I  take  pleasure  in  recalling  all  the  marks  of  gracious  at- 
tention which  Her  Majesty  was  pleased  to  show  me,  even 
in  small  matters  :  for  example,  I  had  coffee-  every  morning 
in  my  hotel  which  was  always  detestable  ;  I  happened 
somehow  to  mention  this  to  the  Queen,  who  sent  me  some 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  315 

excellent  coffee  the  next  day.  Another  time  I  was  ad- 
miring her  bracelets  which  were  of  an  antique  design,  she 
immediately  took  them  off  and  put  them  on  my  arms  ;  this 
gift  alfected  me  more  than  a  fortune  would  have  done, 
and  these  bracelets  have  travelled  with  me  ever  since. 

During  one  of  my  sittings  the  Queen  had  her  children 
brought  in  for  me  to  see  ;  to  my  great  surprise  they  were 
quite  ugly  :  on  showing  them  to  me,  she  said  : 

''They  are  not  handsome." 

I  confess  I  had  not  the  face  to  deny  the  fact  ;  I  con- 
tented myself  with  saying  that-  they  were  very  characteris- 
tic looking.* 

I  had  often  spoken  to  the  Queen  about  my  love  for  the 
country  ;  she  wished  me  to  see  her  Isle  of  Peacocks.  One 
of  her  carriages  took  me  over.  This  charming  retreat  is 
reached  by  a  road  through  a  thick  pine  forest,  then  it  de- 
scends a  steep  hill  which  takes  you  to  a  lake,  on  which  is 
situated  the  Island  of  Peacocks,  with  its  little  castle  ;  it 
was  dull  rainy  weather,  but  I  was  enchanted  with  this 
spot. 

Besides  the  two  studies  in  pastels  ordered  by  Her  Ma- 
jesty, I  did  in  the  same  way  those  of  Prince  Ferdinand's 
family. t  One  of  the  young  Princesses,  Princess  Louise, 
who  married  Prince  Radzivill,  was  pretty  and  very  agree- 
able; her  husband  was  an  excellent  musician.    I  remember 


*  These  children  improved  afterwards.  The  Princess,  who  became 
Empress  of  Russia,  in  particular. — {Author's  Note.) 

f  I  copied  all  these  pastels  in  oils  later,  shortly  after  my  arrival  in 
Paris. 


3i6 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


one  day  he  caused  me  a  great  surprise,  solely  owirig  to  the 
different  customs  of  the  country  :  during  my  stay  at  Berlin 
I  was  taken  to  a  large  public  concert,  and  I  was  astonished 
on  entering  the  room  to  see  Prince  Radzivill  playing  on  a 
harp.  Such  a  thing  could  never  take  place  in  my  country, 
an  amateur,  and  above  all  a  Prince,  can  never  play  before 
any  but  his  own  circle  of  friends  ;  but  in  Prussia  it  seemed 
quite  natural. 

It  was  in  Berlin  that  I  made  the  acquaintance  with  the 
Baronne  de  Krudener,  well  known  for  her  wit  and  eccentri- 
city. Her  reputation  as  an  author  was  already  made ;  but 
she  had  not  assumed  the  character  of  a  religious  enthusiast 
which  caused  her  to  be  so  celebrated  in  the  north  ;  she 
and  her  husband  were  very  kind  to  me.  I  can  say  the 
same  of  Madame  de  Souza,  the  Portuguese  ambassadress, 
whose  portrait  I  painted.  I  encountered  many  of  my  ac- 
quaintances besides  ;  amongst  others,  I  met  with  pleasure 
Count  and  Countess  Golovin  whom  I  had  known  in  St. 
Petersburg.  Madame  Chevalier,  the  charming  actress, 
also  came  to  Berlin.  She  was  very  rich,  and  I  heard  that 
after  being  divorced  she  had  married  a  young  man  at- 
tached to  the  French  Legation. 

On  my  arrival  in  Berlin  I  had  paid  a  visit  to  General 
Bournonville,  the  French  Ambassador,  for  I  entertained  a 
great  desire  to  return  to  Paris.  My  friends  and  my  brother, 
in  particular,  were  anxious  for  me  to  do  so  ;  it  had  been 
easy  for  them  to  get  me  struck  off  the  list  of  /mtgr^s,  and  I 
was  re-established  in  my  quality  of  French  woman,  to 
which  in  spite  of  all  I  still  clung  in  my  heart. 

General  Bournonville  was  a  brave  and  honest  soldier, 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


much  esteemed  at  Berlin  ;  he  received  me  very  kindly, 
and  advised  me  to  go  back  to  my  country,  assuring  me 
that  peace  and  order  were  completely  re-established. 

Although  General  Bournonville  was  the  first  Republican 
Ambassador  I  had  visited,  I  had  met  others  before,  towards 
the  end  of  my  stay  in  St.  Petersburg.  General  Duroc  and 
Monsieur  de  Chateau- Giron  had  reached  Alexander's 
Court,  being  sent  by  Bonaparte  ;  and  I  remember,  being 
at  the  time  with  the  Empress  Elizabeth,  hearing  them  say 
to  the  Emperor,  "  When  shall  we  receive  the  citoyens  ? " 
Monsieur  de  Chateau- Giron  paid  me  a  visit.  I  received 
him  as  well  as  I  could,  but  I  cannot  describe  the  effect 
made  on  me  by  the  tri-coloured  cocade.  A  few  days 
later,  they  dined  with  the  Princess  Galitzin  Beauris.  I  was 
seated  near  General  Duroc,  who,  I  was  told,  was  an  inti- 
mate friend  of  Bonaparte.  He  never  spoke  a  word  to  me, 
and  I  did  the  same  by  him. 

The  dinner  of  which  I  am  writing  gave  rise  to  an  amus- 
ing incident.  The  Princess's  cook,  being  in  complete 
ignorance  of  the  French  Revolution,  naturally  thought  these 
gentlemen  were  the  Ambassadors  of  the  King  of  France. 
Wishing  to  do  them  every  honour,  he  thought  over  several 
things,  and,  remembering  that  the  Fleur-de-lis  were  the 
French  drms,  he  hastened  to  make  everything,  the  truffles, 
cutlets,  and  patties,  all  in  that  design.  This  surprise 
alarmed  the  guests  so  much,  that  the  Princess,  fearful  of 
being  accused  of  a  somewhat  doubtful  joke,  ordered  the 
head-cook  to  come  up-stairs,  and  asked  him  the  reason  of 
this  shower  of  fleurs-de-lis.  The  worthy  man  replied,  in  a 
very  pleased  manner,  "  I  wished  your  Excellency  to  see 


3l8  SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


that  I  knew  what  ought  to  be  done  on  great  occasions." 
A  very  witty  woman  whispered  to  me  :  "  What  a  mis- 
fortune that  the  cooks  and  scuUions  ever  knew  any  more 
than  he  does  !  " 

A  few  days  before  my  departure  from  BerHn,  the  Direc- 
tor of  the  Academy  of  Painting  came  most  courteously  and 
brought  me  himself  the  diploma  of  my  reception  by  this 
Academy. 

All  the  many  kindnesses  I  received  at  the  Prussian  Court 
ought  to  have  prolonged  my  stay,  and  would  have  done 
so,  had  not  my  plans  been  quite  decided  on.  I  took  leave 
of  the  charming  and  beautiful  young  Queen.  I  did  not 
think  that  very  few  years  after  I  should  have  the  sorrow  of 
hearing  she  was  dead.  I  did  not  imagine  that  an  infamous 
calumny  would  be  added  to  the  losses  by  war,  which  would 
lead  her  to  the  tomb  in  the  flower  of  her  youth  ! 

I  never  read  the  bulletins  issued  by  Napoleon's  army  in 
those  days  without  feeling  overcome  with  indignation.  I 
remember  meeting  at  that  time  in  Paris,  in  the  Opera, 
when  I  was  with  the  Comtesse  Potocka,  a  Pole,  who  came 
from  the  French  Army.  I  asked  him  about  the  shameful 
lies  which  were  spread  about  concerning  the  liaison  of  the 
Prussian  Queen  with  the  Emperor  Alexander.  The  young 
man  replied  :  "  Nothing  could  be  more  false  ;  it  i's  all  in- 
vented to  enliven  the  bulletins." 

And  yet  the  poor  woman,  the  victim  of  these  reports, 
read  these  calumnies,  and  the  sorrow  they  occasioned  her, 
added  to  other  griefs,  hastened  her  death  most  probably. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

I  leave  Berlin — Dresden — Letter  to  my  Brother — Frankfort — The 
Divoflf  Family — I  return  to  France. 

FEARED  on  leaving  Berlin  that  I  had  lost  all 
my  possessions  in  the  following  manner  : — I 
had  ordered  my  horses  for  five  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  My  servant  had,  apparently,  gone  to  say  good- 
bye to  some  of  his  friends,  and  was  nowhere  to  be  found, 
and  in  Prussia  the  horses  never  wait.  I  had  risen,  still 
stupefied  with  sleep,  and  the  servant  of  the  hotel,  not  see- 
ing my  own  man  about,  took  possession  of  my  dressing- 
case  to  send  down  with  the  rest  of  my  luggage.  This 
dressing-case,  which  contained  my  diamonds,  my  money — 
all  my  fortune,  in  fact — was  always  placed  under  my  feet 
when  I  travelled.  By  the  greatest  good-luck,  as  soon  as  I 
was  seated  in  the  carriage,  I  perceived,  though  still  half 
asleep,  that  my  feet  were  not  supported  as  usual.  The 
horses  started.  I  cried  out  to  stop  them,  and  asked  for 
my  dressing-case  from  the  hotel  servant,  taking  care  to 
speak  loudly  enough  to  arouse  the  mistress  of  the  house. 
This  succeeded,  for  after  some  evasive  replies  from  the 
man,  my  dressing-case  was  brought  me.  It  was  discovered 
in  a  stable  at  the  back  and  covered  with  hay.    This  cir- 

319 


320 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


cumstance  had  given  time  for  my  servant  to  arrive,  and  I 
left,  very  happy,  as  may  be  supposed,  to  have  recovered 
at  the  same  time  both  my  servant  and  dressing-case.  I 
mention  this  adventure,  as  I  think  it  may  serve  as  a  lesson 
to  travellers. 

On  leaving  Berlin,  I  went  to  Dresden,  where  I  was  com- 
pelled to  remain,  in  order  to  make  several  copies  of  the 
portrait  of  the  Emperor  Alexander  which  I  had  promised. 
I  intended  afterwards  to  continue  my  journey  to  France, 
without  stopping  any  length  of  time  on  the  road.  The 
following  letter,  which  I  wrote  when  at  Dresden  to  my 
brother,  will  give  some  idea  of  what  I  felt  at  the  time  : — 

"  Dresden,  September  i8th,  i8oi. 

"  It  is  ages,  my  good  friend,  since  I  wrote  to  you,  but  I 
have  always  been  on  the  move,  without  finding  a  nice  cor- 
ner where  I  could  settle  myself  a  little  comfortably,  and 
commence  making  copies  of  the  portrait  of  the  Emperor 
Alexander.  I  received  your  note  by  good  Pere  Riviere. 
The  longing  you  have  to  see  me  is  only  equal  to  my  own, 
but,  my  dear  friend,  I  cannot  conceal  from  you  the  dread 
I  feel  in  returning  to  Paris.  The  remembrance  of  the 
horrors  that  have  passed  there  is  so  vividly  before  my 
eyes,  that  I  fear  to  revisit  the  places  which  have  been  wit- 
ness of  such  frightful  scenes.  I  should  wish  to  have  been 
blind  or  to  have  drunk  of  the  waters  of  oblivion,  in  order 
to  live  on  that  blood-stained  soil. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  when  I  think  of  the  happiness  it 
will  be  to  embrace  you  again,  to  meet  old  friends  who  are 
still  left  to  me,  I  no  longer  hesitate,  and  I  say  to  myself 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


321 


that  I  will  return.  Yes,  my  friend,  I  shall  go  to  meet  you 
all  again  ;  but,  alas  !  I  shall  not  meet  our  poor  mother. 
That  sorrow  is  the  deepest  of  all  others.  You  will  take 
me  to  see  her  grave.  .  .  .  My  God  !  how  sad  are  my 
thoughts  ! 

"Since  leaving  Russia,  I  have  been  invited  to  visit 
Vienna,  Brunswick,  Munich,  and  London,  without  speak- 
ing of  St.  Petersburg,  who  clamours  to  have  me  back  again. 
I  have  been  received  in  the  most  flattering  manner  at  all 
places.  Everywhere  I  have  found  a  country^  with  this 
difference,  that  calumny  has  not  torn  me  to  pieces,  as  in 
France.  You  know  what  that  viper  has  made  me  suffer  ! 
All  my  persecutors  are  still  there  ;  suppose  I  should  again 
fall  into  their  envenomed  clutches  !  .  .  .  . 

"  I  will  ask  you  to  send  me  an  itinerary  of  my  journey, 
and,  above  all,  say  if  I  shall  be  allowed  to  come  and  go  as 
I  like,  for,  after  passing  the  winter  with  you,  I  should  wish 
to  make  another  journey.  Travelling  and  change  of  air 
agree  with  me.    To  live  in  a  city  would  kill  me. 

"  I  found  the  beautiful  and  amiable  Princesse  Dolgo- 
rouki  here.  Monsieur  Demidoff  also,  who  seems  heartily 
tired  of  this  place.  He  said  to  me  the  other  day,  *  What 
a  dismal  city  this  Dresden  is  !  I  have  done  my  best,  but 
cannot  find  out  how  to  spend  a  thousand  crowns  a  day.* 

"  Kind  Monsieur  Laya  will  take  this  letter  to  you.  I 
made  his  acquaintance  here,  and  he  pleased  me  at  once. 
He  is  a  distinguished  man  of  letters,  and  the  most  good- 
natured  person  in  the  world.  Knowing  him  to  be  a  friend 
of  your's  prepossessed  me  in  his  favour  ;  and  the  more  I 
know  of  him,  the  greater  is  my  regard.    I  should  much 

14* 


322 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


like  to  know  Monsieur  Legouve,  of  whom  you  speak.  His 
writings  have  made  me  Uke  him,  and  I  hope  you  will  in- 
troduce him  to  me  on  my  arrival. 

"  Adieu  !  My  best  love  to  yourself  and  Suzette,  with- 
out forgetting  my  little  niece,  whom  I  love  as  a  daughter. 
Remember  me  to  good  Madame  Verdun.  How  pleased  I 
shall  be  to  see  her  again,  as  also  Robert  Menageot,  the 
Brongniart  family,  &c.  These'  are  my  subjects  of  conso- 
lation, and  they  are  very  necessary.    Adieu  !  " 

My  resolution  once  formed  of  returning  to  France  for 
the  winter,  I  hastened  my  work,  so  as  to  be  able  to  spend 
a  few  days  with  the  Riviere  family  at  Brunswick.  I  met 
whilst  with  them  the  Due  de  Brunswick,  who  desired  my 
acquaintance.  I  was  presented  to  him,  and  he  at  once 
expressed  a  wish  that  I  should  make  his  portrait.  As  my 
time  was  so  limited,  I  was  compelled  to  decline,  with 
much  regret,  as  this  Prince  was  very  handsome.  After 
staying  five  or  six  days  with  Monsieur  de  Riviere's  rela- 
tions, I  started  on  my  journey  alone,  my  travelling  com- 
panion remaining  with  his  family. 

I  remained  one  night  at  Weimar,  and  the  day  which 
preceded  it,  was  full  of  tribulations.  I  had  hoped  to  have 
reached  Weimar  about  noon,  and  had  therefore  taken  no 
precautions  as  regarded  my  dinner,  but  unfortunately  I 
had  a  driver  who  did  not  know  the  road,  and  who  instead 
of  taking  a  good  one,  lost  himself  and  me  in  rich  pasture 
lands  where  we  passed  the  whole  day.  By  nightfall  I  was 
almost  dead  with  hunger  and  fatigue.  The  horses,  worn 
out,  could  no  longer  draw  the  carriage  which  was  very 
heavy,  and  to  complete  my  trouble  my  servant  was  suffer- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


ing  from  a  whitlow  on  his  finger,  which  prevented  him 
from  helping  us.  I  remember  that  in  the  endeavour  to 
allay  my  impatience  and  above  all  my  appetite,  I  amused 
myself  by  trying  to  model  a  face  out  of  some  of  the  horrid 
soil  in  which  we  were  stuck,  and  succeeded  fairly  well  in 
doing  so.  We  at  last,  and  with  difficulty,  got  out  of  this 
tiresome  position,  and  reached  Weimar  at  midnight,  so 
worn  out  and  bewildered  that  all  along  the  road  I  had 
given  at  the  toll  bars  two  ducats  instead  of  two  grutz.^'  I 
only  found  out  my  mistake  at  the  door  of  the  hotel,  on 
paying  the  last  post,  and  I  sent  back  for  my  twq  last 
ducats  which  were  returned  to  me. 

I  had  been  travelling  since  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, without  having  eaten  anything,  and  had  to  wait  a  long 
while  before  getting  into  the  hotel,  as  every  one  goes  to 
bed  at  an  early  hour  at  Weimar,  and  no  one  was  up. 

I  had  several  letters  of  introduction  from  the  Court  of 
Vienna  ;  but  I  was  so  tired  and  ill,  and  was  so  uncom- 
fortable at  the  hotel,  that  I  left  on  the  following  morning. 
At  Gotha,  which  was  my  next  halting  place,  I  found  the 
Baron  de  Grimm,  whom  I  had  known  previously  in  Paris ; 
he  was  most  obliging  and  kind  to  me,  and  arranged  my 
money  matters,  which  the  change  of  country  necessitated. 

At  Frankfort  I  put  up  at  a  fine  hotel,  which  bore  the 
name  of  France  and  Paris.  I  had  left  my  drunken  old  ser- 
vant at  Berlin,  as  he  had  been  such  a  trouble  to  me,  and 
when  I  got  out  of  my  carriage,  a  very  well  dressed  young 
German,  who  was  standing  at  the  door,  offered  to  carry 


*  A  ducat  is  worth  twelve  francs,  and  a  grutz  worth  two  sous. 


324 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


my  dressing  case  upstairs  for  me.  He  placed  it  on  the 
table  in  the  room  I  was  to  occupy,  and  as  naturally  I  had 
followed  him,  he  wanted  to  kiss  my  hand,  which  I  refused 
as  politely  as  I  could,  at  the  same  time  thanking  him  for 
his  attentions.  I  locked  the  door  after  him,  for  the  face 
of  the  young  man  displeased  me,  and  made  me  suspect 
him. 

A  few  minutes  afterwards,  I  heard  a  carriage  stop  be- 
fore the  hotel.  I  went  to  the  window,  and  saw  my  good 
friend  Madame  Divoff,  her  husband  and  son,  whom  I  had 
known  so  well  at  St.  Petersburg,  descend.  I  ran  to  wel- 
come this  excellent  family,  and  there  again  was  the  young 
German  helping  the  servants  to  carry  their  luggage  into 
their  rooms.  So  much  zeal  appeared  suspicious  to  my 
mind  ;  but  Madame  Divoff,  grateful  for  his  attention,  in- 
vited the  young  man  to  sup  with  us.  At  table,  he  told  us 
his  misfortunes  relative  to  a  love  match  which  had  been 
broken  off.  It  was  quite  a  romance,  and  I  was  so  strongly 
persuaded  that  he  had  invented  it,  that  I  could  not  feel 
the  least  interested  in  it,  though  Madame  Divoff  was  so  ' 
overcome  as  to  shed  tears.  The  following  morning,  she 
invited  the  young  romancer  to  breakfast,  which  I  did  not 
at  all  approve  of.  We  were  obliged  to  remain  six  days  at 
Frankfort,  which  was  very  annoying ;  but  a  false  report 
was  circulated  that  Bonaparte  had  been  assassinated,  and 
in  such  a  case,  all  my  plans  for  returning  to  Paris  would 
have  been  changed.  At  last,  when  we  were  on  the  point 
of  starting,  several  silver  dishes  belonging  to  Madame 
Divoff  were  missing.  I  never  for  a  moment  doubted  they 
had  been  stolen  by  the  young  German,  and  immediately 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  325 

after  my  arrival  at  Paris,  I  read  in  the  newspapers  that 
the  young  man  had  been  arrested  for  theft. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  tlfe  state  of  my  feelings 
on  again  touching,  after  twelve  years,  French  soil ;  the 
terror,  the  sorrow,  and  the  joy  which  agitated  my  mind  in 
turn.  I  wept  for  friends  who  had  died  on  the  scaffold  ; 
but  I  was  going  to  see  others  who  still  remained  to  me. 
This  France  into  which  I  was  entering  had  been  the 
theatre  of  atrocious  crimes  ;  but  this  France  was  my 
country  ! 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


I  arrive  in  Paris— Concert  in  the  Rue  Clery— Ball  at  Madame  Reg- 
nault  de  Saint-Jean  d'Angely — Madame  Bonaparte — Vien — Gerard 
— Madame  Recamier — Madame  Tallien — Ducis — My  Soirees — I 
leave  for  London. 

N  my  arrival  at  my  house  in  Paris,  in  the  Rue 
du  Gros-Chenet,  M.  Le  Brun,  my  brother,  his 
wife  and  daughter,  were  waiting  at  the  en- 
trance door  to  receive  me,  weeping  for  joy  at  seeing  me 
again,  and  I  also  was  much  overcome.  I  found  the  stair- 
case filled  with  flowers,  and  my  own  rooms  charmingly 
arranged.  The  hangings  and  window  curtains  of  my  bed- 
room were  in  green  cashmere,  the  curtains  being  edged 
with  gold-coloured  embroidery.  M.  Le  Brun  had  placed 
a  crown  of  gold  stars  as  an  ornament  for  the  head  of  my 
bed  ;  all  the  furniture  was  in  good  taste,  and  I  found 
myself  very  comfortably  installed.  Though  M.  Le  Brun 
made  me  pay  very  dearly  for  all  this  luxury,  I  was  not 
the  less  sensible  of  the  trouble  he  had  taken  to  make  my 
house  agreeable  to  me. 

The  house  in  the  Rue  du  Gros-Chenet  was  separated 
by  a  garden  from  a  house  which  looked  into  the  Rue  de 
Clery,  and  which  also  belonged  to  M.  Le  Brun.  In  this 
house  was  an  immense  reception  room  in  which  first  rate 

326 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  32/ 

concerts  were  held.  They  took  me  to  one  on  the  night  of 
my  arrival,  and  as  soon  as  I  entered  the  room,  everyone 
turned  towards  me,  the  audience  clapping  their  hands.  I 
was  so  surprised  by  this  flattering  reception  that  I  burst 
into  tears.  I  remember  that  Madame  Tallien  was  present 
at  this  concert,  radiant  with  beauty. 

The  first  visit  I  received  the  following  morning,  was  that 
of  Greuze,  whom  I  did  not  find  changed.  I  was  touched 
by  his  friendliness,  and  was  very  glad  to  see  him  again. 
After  Greuze,  came  my  good  friend  Madame  de  Bonneuil, 
as  pretty  as  ever  ;  for  the  way  this  charming  woman  car- 
ried her  age  was  quite  astonishing.  She  told  me  that  her 
daughter,  Madame  Regnault  de  Saint-Jean  d'Angely  was 
giving  a  ball  on  the  following  day,  and  that  I  must  posi- 
tively go  to  it. 

"  But,"  I  replied,  "  I  have  no  handsome  dress  to  wear," 
and  then  I  showed  her  the  famous  piece  of  embroidered 
India  muslin  which  had  travelled  about  with  me  so  much, 
and  had  run  so  many  risks  since  the  time  Madame  du 
Barri  had  given  it  me.  Madame  de  Bonneuil  thought  it 
very  beautiful,  and  sent  it  to  Madame  Germain,  the  cele- 
brated dressmaker,  who  made  me  at  once  a  fashionable 
dress,  and  sent  it  in  time  for  the  ball. 

I  met  there  the  most  beautiful  women  of  the  period,  at 
the  head  of  whom  I  must  place  Madame  Regnault  her- 
self, then  Madame  Visconti,  so  remarkable  for  the  beauty 
of  her  figure  and  face.  Whilst  I  was  engaged  in  looking 
at  all  these  charming  women,  a  lady  who  was  seated  in 
front  of  me,  turned  round,  and  I  could  not  help  saying : 

"  Ah  !  Madame,  how  lovely  you  are  !  " 


328 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


This  lady  was  Madame  Jouberto,  then  very  poor,  and 
who  has  since  married  Lucien  Bonaparte. 

There  were  present  at  this  ball,  many  French  Generals  ; 
Macdonald,  Marmont,  and  several  others  ;  in  fact  it  was  a 
new  world  to  me. 

A  few  days  after  my  arrival,  Madame  Bonaparte  came 
one  morning  to  see  me  ;  she  brought  to  my  recollection 
the  balls  we  had  been  to  together  before  the  revolution, 
and  which  I  had  quite  forgotten  ;  but  I  was  very  grateful 
for  her  kindness.  She  invited  me  to  breakfast  with  the 
First  Consul. 

Menageot  soon  called;  he  had  been  Director  of  the 
Academy  of  French  Painters  in  Rome,  and  related  to  me 
his  reason  for  leaving  Rome,  in  the  revolt  of  the  students. 
He  also  told  me  how  he  had  seen  Bonaparte  at  Lodi, 
after  his  great  victory.  Bonaparte,  on  showing  him  the 
field  of  battle  still  strewn  with  dead,  said  to  him  with  the 
greatest  sang-froid  : 

"  This  would  make  a  fine  picture." 

Menageot  was  indignant  with  this  remark.  "  It  was," 
he  said,  "  a  frightful,  heart-breaking  sight ;  there  were 
several  dogs  who  were  howling  over  the  corpses  of  their 
masters  ;  these  poor  animals  were  much  more  humane 
than  Bonaparte ! " 

I  was  greatly  touched  at  the  joy  expressed  by  my  friends 
and  acquaintances  at  seeing  me  again,  though  my  pleasure 
was  sadly  troubled  at  hearing  of  so  many  deaths,  of  which 
I  was  ignorant ;  for  there  was  scarcely  anyone  who  called 
who  had  not  lost  either  a  mother,  husband,  or  some  rela- 
tive.    I  had  one  very  disagreeable  visit  to  pay,  and 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  329 

which  vexed  me  more  than  any  other  :  this  was  to  my 
odious  step-father  ;  he  lived  at  Neuilly  in  a  small  house 
which  had  been  bought  by  my  father,  and  where  I  had 
spent  many  of  my  youthful  days.  Everything  in  this 
place  recalled  rriy  poor  mother/  and  the  happy  time 
I  passed  with  her ;  I  found  there  her  work-basket 
just  as  she  had  left  it ;  it  was  a  sad  and  mournful 
visit. 

One  can  imagine  with  what  delight  I  visited  the  Mu- 
seum of  the  Louvre,  which  possessed  so  many  splendid 
works  of  art  ;  I  went  there  alone,  so  that  I  might  enjoy  it 
without  ianything  to  distract  me.  I  first  visited  the  picr 
tures,  then  the  statues ;  and  when  after  having  remained 
several  hours  standing,  I  began  to  think  of  returning  home 
for  my  dinner,  I  perceived  that  the  guardians  had  locked 
up  the  doors  and  gone  away.  I  ran  right  and  left ;  I 
cried  ;  it  was  impossible  to  make  myself  heard  ;  I  was 
dying  of  cold  and  hunger,  for  it  was  in  the  month  of 
February.  I  could  not  knock  at  the  windows,  they  were 
much  too  high  up  ;  thus  I  found  myself  in  prison  with  all 
these  fine  statues,  which  I  no  longer  was  in  any  dis- 
position to  admire.  They  appeared  like  so  many 
phantoms,  and  the  idea  that  I  should  have  to  pass 
the  night  with  them,  filled  me  with  terror  and  de- 
spair. At  last  I  discovered  a  little  door,  at  which  I 
knocked  so  loudly  that  some  one  heard  me  and  opened' 
it;  I  ran  out  precipitately,  delighted  to  regain  my  lib- 
erty. 

Shortly  after  my  arrival  in  Paris,  I  received  the  follow- 
ing letter  from  the  Comedie  Franpaise  ; 


330 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


"  Madame, 

"  The  Comedie  Frangaise  has  done  me  the  honour  to 
request  me  to  forward  you  a  copy  of  the  decree  just 
passed,  for  placing  your  name  on  the  Hst  of  free  entries 
for  that  theatre  ;  you  are  requested  to  accept  this  homage 
as  a  mark  of  admiration  and  esteem  for  your  rare  talents. 

"  I  have  the  honour,  &c. 

"  Maignieu,  Secretary'* 

On  my  first  visit  to  the  theatre  the  general  aspect  ap- 
peared very  dull  ;  accustomed  as  I  had  been  in  former 
years  in  France,  and  also  in  foreign  countries,  to  see 
everyone  wearing  powder,  the  black  heads  and  black 
coats  of  the  men  formed  a  gloomy  coup-d'ail.  One  might 
have  concluded  that  the  public  were  assembled  to  follow 
a  funeral  procession. 

The  appearance  of  Paris  also  did  not  appear  so  gay  ; 
the  streets  seemed  narrower.  This  was  caused,  no  doubt, 
by  my  recent  visit  to  St.  Petersburg  and  Berlin,  where 
the  streets  are  wide  and  spacious.  But  what  displeased 
me  more  than  anything  else,  was  to  see  written  on  the 
walls  :  liberid^  fratermi<f,  ou  la  mort.  These  words  raised 
in  my  mind  many  sad  reflections  on  the  past,  and  filled 
me  with  fears  for  the  future. 

I  was  taken  to  see  a  grand  parade  held  by  the  First 
Consul  on  the  Place  du  Louvre.  I  was  stationed  at  a 
window  of  the  Museum,  and  I  remember  that  I  could  not 
be  made  to  recognise  as  Bonaparte,  the  little  slight  man 
who  was  pointed  out  to  me  as  him.  The  Due  de  Grillon, 
who  was  by  my  side,  had  all  the  trouble  in  the  world  to 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


make  me  believe  it.  As  in  the  case  of  the  Empress 
Catherine  II.  I  had  imagined  this  celebrated  man  to  be  a 
sort  of  colossus.  Shortly  after  my  arrival,  Bonaparte's 
brothers  came  to  see  my  paintings  ;  they  were  very  amia- 
ble, and  said  many  flattering  things  to  me  ;  Lucien,  in 
particular,  was  greatly  struck  by  my  Sybil,  and  praised  it 
highly. 

My  first  visits  were  to  my  kind  old  friends,  the  Mar- 
quise de  Grollier  and  Madame  de  Verdun,  also  to  the 
Comtesse  d'Andelau,  a  most  charming  woman  :  her  two 
daughters,  Madame  de  Rosambo,  and  Madame  de  Or- 
glande  were  worthy  of  their  mother  by  their  beauty  and 
intelligence. 

I  also  called  on  the  Comtesse  de  Segur,  whom  I  found 
alone  and  very  sad  ;  her  husband  had  as  yet  no  appoint- 
ment, and  they  were  badly  off.  Later  on,  when  Bona- 
parte became  Emperor,  he  made  the  Comte  de  Segur 
master  of  the  ceremonies,  which  relieved  them  at  once  of 
their  difficulties.  One  evening,  at  about  eight  o'clock,  I 
went  to  see  the  Comtesse,  and  finding  her  quite  alone, 
she  said  :  "  You  will  hardly  believe  that  I  have  had  twenty 
people  to  dinner  ?  they  all  left  after  the  coffee."  I  was 
much  surprised  ;  for  before  the  Revolution,  the  greater 
number  of  guests  who  had  dined  with  her  finished  the 
evening  at  her  house,  which  I  thought  a  much  better  ar- 
rangement than  the  present  fashion. 

Madame  de  Segur  invited  me  to  a  grand  musical  soiree, 
where  were  gathered  together  all  the  most  notable  people 
of  the  day.  I  remarked  another  innovation,  which  I 
thought  was  equally  bad.    I  was  astonished  on  entering 


332 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


to  see  all  the  men  on  one  side  and  all  the  women  on  the 
other ;  you  might  have  supposed  they  were  enemies  in 
view  of  each  other.  Not  a  man  came  to  our  side,  with 
the  exception  of  the  master  of  the  house,  the  Comte  de 
Segur,  whose  ancient  habit  of  courtesy  made  him  say  a 
few  flattering  things  to  the  ladies.  As  soon  as  the  beauti- 
ful Madame  de  Canisy  arrived,  we  lost  our  only  cavalier  ; 
the  Comte  at  once  devoting  all  his  attentions  to  this 
beauty,  to  whom  at  this  time  I  am  informed  the  Emperor 
was  paying  his  court. 

I  found  myself  seated  by  the  side  of  Madame  de  Bas- 
sano,  whom  I  had  heard  much  praised,  and  whom  I  had 
greatly  desired  to  see.  She  appeared  to  pay  great  atten- 
tion to  the  diamond  bracelet  given  me  by  the  Queen  of 
Naples  on  my  taking  leave  of  her.  This  was  in  fact  very 
handsome.  As  I  suppose  she  considered  me  a  nobody, 
not  being  the  wife  of  a  minister  or  belonging  to  the  Court, 
she  did  not  vouchsafe  me  a  word,  which  did  not  prevent 
my  looking  at  her  often,  and  thinking  her  very  pretty. 

The  first  artist  on  whom  I  called  was  M.  Vien,  who  had 
been  appointed  in  the  old  times  as  first  painter  to  the 
King,  and  whom  Bonaparte  had  made  a  senator.  I  was 
greatly  pleased  with  the  reception  he  gave  me,  and  for  his 
extreme  kindness.  He  w^as  then  eighty-two  years  of  age, 
nevertheless,  he  showed  me  two  sketches  composed  in  the 
style  of  the  antique  bacchanals  which  he  had  just  painted. 
They  were  charming. 

After  this  visit  I  called  on  M.  Gerard,  already  so  cele- 
brated by  his  pictures  of  Belisarius,  and  of  Psyche.  I  had 
the  greatest  desire  to  become  acquainted  with  this  splendid 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  333 

artist,  whose  quality  of  mind  equalled  his  rare  talent.  I 
found  him  worthy  of  his  fame.  He  had  just  finished 
painting  the  fine  portrait  of  Madame  Bonaparte,  mother  of 
the  Emperor  Napoleon  I. ;  she  is  depicted  reclining  on  a 
sofa,  and  this  picture  added  still  more  to  his  reputation. 

The  portrait  of  Madame  Bonaparte  gave  me  the  wish 
to  see  the  one  Gerard  had  made  of  Madame  Recamier ; 
accordingly  I  called  on  this  lovely  woman,  charmed  by  a 
circumstance  which  procured  me  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
and  making  acquaintance  with  her. 

Shortly  after  this,  she  invited  me  to  a  grand  ball,  to 
which  I  went  with  the  Princesse  Dolgorouki,  whom  I*had 
the  happiness  of  seeing  in  Paris.  This  ball  was  charming  ; 
nothing  was  wanting,  numbers  of  people  without  any 
crowding,  many  beautiful  women,  and  a  handsome  house. 
As  the  peace  of  Amiens  had  just  been  declared,  I  met  at 
this  reunion  a  certaia  air  of  magnificence  that  the  rising 
generation  had  not  hitherto  known.  It  was  the  first  time 
that  mffli  and  women  of  twenty  saw  liveries  amongst  the 
servants  in  the  ante-chambers  of  Ambassadors  ;  foreigners 
of  rank,  richly  dressed  and  decorated  with  brilliant  orders  ; 
and  whatever  may  be  said,  this  display  was  more  suitable 
at  a  ball  than  the  carmagnole  and  breeches  of  the.  Revo- 
lutionary period. 

Madame  Recamier  had  only  one  woman  in  Paris  who 
rivalled  her  in  beauty.     This  was  Madame  Tallien.* 


*  The  Baron  Gerard  made  a  fine  portrait  of  Madame  The'rese 
Cabarrus,  wife  of  Devin  de  Fontenay,  afterwards  wife  of  Tallien,  and 
later  wife  of  Comte  Caraman,  Prince  de  Chimay. 


334 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


Robert,  who  knew  her  well,  took  me  to  see  her,  and  I 
must  own  that  I  sought  in  vain  for  a  defect  in  the  whole 
appearance  of  this  charming  person.  She  was  both  beau- 
tiful and  pretty,  for  the  regularity  of  her  features  did  not 
detract  from  her  expression.  She  had  an  enchanting 
smile,  and  was  admirably  proportioned. 

Madame  Tallien  combined  with  her  beauty  a  noble  dis- 
position. It  is  well  known  that  during  the  Revolution  a 
number  of  victims,  doomed  to  death,  owed  their  lives  to 
the  empire  she  exercised  over  Tallien.  These  unfortunate 
people  named  her  Notre  Danie  de  Bon  Secours.  She  re- 
ceived me  in  the  most  graceful  manner.  Later,  when  she 
had  married  the  Prince  de  Chimay,  she  lived  at  the  end 
of  the  Rue  de  Babylone  in  a  handsome  house,  where  she 
and  her  husband  often  amused  themselves  by  private  the- 
atricals. Both  of  them  acted  well.  She  invited  me  to 
one  of  these  entertainments,  and  came  several  times  to  my 
soirees. 

I  was  not  long  in  Paris  before  I  made  several  new 
acquaintances,  who  in  time  became  friends.  I  had  the 
happiness  of  being  a  near  neighbour  of  the  Marquise 
d'Hautpoul,  who,  by  her  character  and  amiable  disposition, 
soon  made  me  love  her.  I  also  became  acquainted  with 
Madame  de  Bawr,  who  had  recently  married  a  Russian 
officer,  son  of  a  celebrated  General  of  that  name.  She 
was  very  young,  and  had  not  as  yet  distinguished  herself 
in  a  literary  capacity,  as  she  afterwards  did,  on  losing  her 
husband  and  her  fortune. 

I  had  the  happiness  at  this  period  of  meeting  Ducis, 
whose  noble  character  equalled  his  rare  talent.    The  ex- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


335 


treme  simplicity  of  his  manners  contrasted  so  well  with  the 
brilliant  imagination  with  which  he  was  endowed,  that  I 
have  never  known  a  more  interesting  man  than  the  excel- 
lent Ducis.  His  friends  had  but  one  regret,  and  that  was 
that  it  was  impossible  to  keep  him  in  Paris.  He  hated 
towns,  and  the  country,  with  its  fields  and  shepherds,  was 
necessary  to  the  author  of  "  GEdipus  "  and  Othello." 

The  solitary  life  which  it  pleased  him  to  lead  was  the 
cause  of  a  great  surprise  and  even  fear  to  myself,  and  I 
have  never  forgotten  it.  On  my  return  from  London  I 
went  to  see  him  at  Versailles,  where  I  heard  he  had  settled. 
It  was  evening.  I  knocked  at  his  door,  and  Madame 
Peyre,  the  widow  of  the  architect,"  whom  I  had  believed 
dead  some  years,  opened  it  to  me,  holding  a  candle  in  her 
hand.  I  cried  out  with  fright,  and  gazed  at  her  in  a  ter- 
rified manner,  whilst  she  told  me  that  she  had  quite  re- 
cently married  Ducis.  She  took  me  to  her  husband,  whom 
I  found  seated  in  a  small  room,  surrounded  by  books  and 
manuscripts. 

I  had  great  pleasure  in  again  meeting  Madame  Campan. 
She  held  a  high  position  in  the  Bonaparte  family,  and  in- 
vited me  to  dine  with  her  one  day  at  Saint-Germain, 
where  she  had  established  her  school.  I  found  myself  at 
table  with  Madame  Murat,  the  sister  of  Napoleon,  but  we 
were  placed  in  such  a  manner  that  I  could  only  see  her 
profile,  as  she  did  not  turn  her  face  towards  me.  I. judged, 
however,  that  she  was  pretty.  In  the  evening,  the  young 
school-girls  performed  Esther,"  and  Mademoiselle  Augue, 
who  since  married  Marshal  Ney,  acted  the  principal  part 
very  well.    Bonaparte  was  present  during  the  perform- 


33^ 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


ance.  He  was  seated  in  the  front  row ;  I  placed  myself 
in  the  second  in  a  corner  a  little  distance  from  him,  so 
that  I  might  examine  him  at  my  leisure. 

I  remarked  with  pleasure  in  Madame  Campan's  room  a 
bust  of  Marie- Antoinette.  I  told  her  how  pleased  I  was 
to  see  it  there,  and  she  said  Bonaparte  approved  of  it, 
which  I  thought  was  nice  of  him.  It  is  true  that  at  this 
period  he  seemed  to  fear  neither  the  past  nor  the  future. 
His  victories  excited  the  enthusiasm  of  the  French,  and 
even  that  of  foreigners.  He  had  many  admirers  amongst 
the  English,  and  I  recollect  once,  when  dining  at  the 
Duchess  of  Gordon's,  she  showed  me  the  portrait  of  Bona- 
parte, saying,  "  Voila  mon  zero  !  "  As  she  spoke  French 
very  badly,  I  understood  what  she  wished* to  say,  and  we 
laughed  heartily  when  I  explained  what  a  z&o  was. 

The  great  number  of  foreigners  of  my  acquaintance  who 
were  at  this  period  in  Paris,  and  the  necessity  I  felt  to  try 
and  drive  away  the  melancholy  which  I  could  not  over- 
come, induced  me  to  give  soirees.  As  the  Princessfe  Dol- 
gorouki  was  very  anxious  to  become  acquainted  with  the 
Abbe  Delille,  I  invited  him  to  supper  with  me,  at  the  same 
time  asking  several  other  persons  worthy  of  listening  to 
him.  Though  this  charming  poet  had  become  blind,  he 
had  lost  none  of  the  amiable  gaiety  of  his  character.  He 
recited  several  of  his  finest  verses,  which  enchanted  us  all. 

After  this  supper,  I  gave  several  others.  I  collected  at 
one  of  them  all  the  principal  artists  of  the  period,  and  we 
were  as  gay  as  before  the  Revolution.  At  dessert  each 
person  was  obliged  to  sing  a  song.  Gerard  chose  the  air 
of  "  Marlborough,"  but,  to  tell  the  truth,  his  singing  was 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


337 


not  as  perfect  as  his  painting,  for  he  sang  false,  and  we 
laughed  at  him. 

On  another  occasion,  I  arranged  a  supper  for  all  the 
great  personages  of  the  time  and  the  Ambassadors, 
amongst  whom  was  Monsieur  de  Metternich.  Then  I 
gave  a  ball,  at  which  Madame  de  Hamelin,  Monsieur  de 
Trenis,  and  others  danced,  for  it  was  then  the  fashion  to 
dance  as  well  at  private  parties  as  at  the  Opera.  Madame 
Hamelin  was  considered  the  best  dancer  in  Paris.  I  re- 
member that  at  this  ball  Madame  Demidoff  danced  what 
was  called  the  Russian  valse  in  such  an  elegant  manner, 
that  people  stood  up  on  the  benches  to  see  her. 

I  was  anxious,  by  these  parties,  to  return  in  some 
measure  to  the  Russians  and  Germans,  who  were  in  Paris, 
some  of  the  pleasures  they  had  procured  for  me  whilst 
staying  in  their  country.  I  saw  nearly  every  day  the 
Princess  Dolgorouki,  who  had  been  so  kind  to  me  at  St. 
Petersburg.  She  liked  Paris,  and  soon  formed  a  pleasant 
society  around  her.  I  remember  at  one  of  her  soirees 
meeting  the  Vicomte  de  Segur,  whom  I  had  known  before 
the  revolution.  He  was  then  young  and  elegant,  making 
a  thousand  conquests  by  the  charm  of  his  face.  On  see- 
ing him  again  at  the  Princess's  with  withered  face, 
wrinkled,  and  wearing  a  wig  with  symmetrical  curls  on 
each  side,  leaving  the  forehead  bare,  I  said  to  myself  : 

"  Alas  !  what  are  we  coming  to  ?  " 

The  Princesse  Dolgorouki  came  to  see  me  the  day  she 
had  been  presented  to  Bonaparte.  I  asked  her  what  she 
thought  of  the  Court  of  the  First  Consul. 

"It  is  not  a  court,"  she  replied,  "but  a  power." 
15 


338         SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


It  must  have  appeared  as  such  to  her,  accustomed  as 
she  was  to  the  Court  of  St.  Petersburg,  which  was  numer- 
ous and  briUiant,  whilst  at  the  Tuileries,  she  would  see 
very  few  women,  but  a  prodigious  number  of  military  of 
all  ranks. 

In  the  midst  of  the  distractions  which  a  residence'  in 
Paris  offered  me,  I  was  not  the  less  haunted  by  the  most 
gloomy  thoughts,  which  I  could  by  no  means  get  rid  of. 
I  felt  an  ardent  desire  to  live  alone,  and  took  a  small 
house  at  Meudon,  which  had  once  been  occupied  by  nuns. 
It  was  situated  in  the  wood,  and  its  rustic  and  solitary  as- 
pect made  me  fancy  myself  a  thousand  miles  from  Paris. 
This  suited  me  admirably  ;  for  my  melancholy  was  so 
great  that  I  could  not  endure  seeing  anyone  ;  whenever  I 
heard  a  carriage  I  fled  into  the  woods  of  Meudon. 

The  first  visits  1  received  there  were  those  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Fleury  and  Madame  de  Bellegarde,  who 
lived  together  in  a  house  in  the  environs.  They  invited 
me  to  go  and  see  them,  and  were  so  amiable  that  they  at 
last  reconciled  me  to  humanity,  and  succeeded  in  dissi- 
pating my  melancholy.  In  the  autumn  I  returned  to 
Paris,  where  all  my  gloomy  ideas  speedily  came  back.  To 
put  a  stop  to  such  a  state  of  mind  I  resolved  on  taking  a 
journey,  and  never  having  visited  London,  decided  oh  go- 
ing there. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


London— The  Route^ — West — Reynolds — Mrs.  Siddons — Mrs.  Bil- 
lington— Madame  Grassini — Duchess  of  Devonshire — Sir  Francis 
Burdett. 

LEFT  for  London  on  the  15th  of  April,  1802. 
I  did  not  know  a  word  of  English.  I  had 
provided  myself  with  an  English  maid,  but 
was  soon  obliged  to  get  rid  of  her,  as  she  was  very  ineffi- 
cient, and  spent  the  greater  part  of  each  day  in  eating 
slices  of  bread  and  butter.  Happily  I  brought  with  me  a 
charming  young  person  as  a  companion  and  friend.  This 
was  my  good  Adelaide,*  whose  constant  care  and  counsel 
have  been  so  useful  to  me. 

On  landing  at  Dover,  I  was  rather  alarmed  at  seeing  the 
population  assembled  on  the  shore  ;  but  became  reassured 
on  being  told  that  the  crowd  was  composed  of  the  inhab- 
itants who  invariably  came  to  see  the  passengers  land. 
The  sun  was  setting,  and  I  at  once  engaged  a  carriage 
with  three  horses,  and  started  without  delay  ;  for  I  was  not 
without  some  anxiety,  as  I  had  been  informed  I  might 
possibly  meet  highwaymen  on  the  road.    I  had  taken  the 


*  Mademoiselle  Adelaide  married  afterwards  M.  Constant,  Madame 
Vigee  Le  Brun's  man  of  business. 

339 


340  SOUVENIRS  OF 

precaution  of  putting  my  diamonds  inside  my  stockings, 
and  I  was  very  glad  I  had  done  so,  on  perceiving  two 
men  on  horseback  galloping  towards  us  who,  to  complete 
my  terror,  separated,  as  I  thought  with  the  intention  of 
placing  themselves  at  each  side  of  the  carriage-door.  I 
shook  with  fright  ;  but  nothing  occurred. 

I  took  up  my  abode  on  arriving  in  London  at  the  Hotel 
Brunet,  in  Leicester  Square.  I  was  dreadfully  tired,  and 
had  great  need  of  sleep  ;  but  I  found  it  impossible,  as  all 
night  long  I  heard  some  one  talking  and  stamping  up  and 
down  over  my  head.  The  cause  of  this  insupportable 
noise  was  explained  to  me  the  following  day.  I  met  on 
the  stairs  M.  de  Parseval  de  Grandmaison,  whom  I  had 
been  intimately  acquainted  with  in  Paris,  and  was  de- 
lighted to  see  him.  When  he  told  me  he  was  lodged 
above  me,  I  at  once  begged  him  not  to  walk  about  all 
night,  and  not  to  choose  that  time  for  reciting  his  verses, 
seeing  that  his  voice  was  so  strong  and  sonorous  that  it 
penetrated  even  to  my  room.  He  at  once  agreed,  and 
from  that  time  I  slept  tranquilly. 

As  I  had  no  intention  of  remaining  in  the  hotel  I  was 
then  staying  at,  I  profited  by  the  kindness  of  one  of  my 
compatriots,  named  Charmilly,  who  came  to  see  me  and 
took  me  to  look  at  other  apartments.  I  took  one  in  Beck 
Street,  and  this  reminds  me  that,  on  my  arrival  in  London, 
my  ignorance  of  the  English  language  made  me  make  an 
amusing  mistake.  Accustomed  as  I  had  been  to  read 
*'  Rue  de  Richelieu,"  "  Rue  de  Clery,"  etc.,  the  word 

Street "  written  at  the  end,  appeared  to  me  to  be  the 
name,  and  I  said  to  my  servant  : 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  34 1 

"  Here  is  a  street  that  seems  to  have  no  end." 
The  lodgings  which  I  had  taken  in  Beck  Street  were  so 
inconvenient,  that  I  could  not  remain  there.  First,  at  the 
back  of  the  house  I  looked  into  the  barracks  of  the  Royal 
Guard,  and  every  morning,  between  three  and  four  o'clock, 
I  heard  a  trumpet  sounding  so  loud  and  out  of  tune,  that 
it  was  sufficient  to  wake  the  dead.  To  this  noise  was 
added  that  of  the  horses  of  the  Guard,  whose  stables  were 
under  my  windows,  and  they  prevented  my  sleeping  at 
night.  In  the  day  time  I  had  the  noise  of  my  neighbour's 
children,  who  were  continually  running  up  and  down 

'  stairs.  Their  mother  having  heard  that  I  exhibited  my 
pictures,  brought  ail  her  numerous  family  to  see  them. 
She  made  me  think  of  Madame  Gigogne,  who  had  so 
many  children  she  didn't  know  what  to  do.  I  might,  it 
is  true,  have  taken  refuge  in  a  room  that  was  more  agree- 
ably situated  ;  but  knowing  that  a  lady  had  recently  died 

•  there,  I  had  a  great  repugnance  to  occupying  it.  The 
arms  of  the  deceased  were  still  over  the  street  door  ;  I  did 
not  understand  this  custom,  otherwise  I  should  have  taken 
the  house.  I  therefore  left  Beck  Street,  and  established 
myself  in  a  fine  house  in  Portman  Square.  This  large 
square  made  me  hope  for  a  little  tranquillity.  Before  taking 
it,  I  had  well  inspected  the  back  of  the  house,  and  the 
view  from  the  windows  betokened  complete  calm.  I  slept 
on  that  side  in  consequence.  But  the  following  morning,  at 
daybreak,  I  heard  the  most  piercing  cries.  I  rose,  put  my 
head  out  of  the  window,  and  perceived  an  enormous  bird 
belonging  to  my  nearest  neighbour.  I  had  never  seen 
anything  like  it  before.    It  looked  furious  ;  its  beak  and 


342 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


tail  were  of  monstrous  length  ;  and  I  can  positively  assert 
that  a  large  eagle,  in  comparison  with  it,  would  have  had 
the  appearance  of  a  small  canary.  I  was  informed  that 
the  horrible  creature  came  from  the  East  Indies.  But 
wheresoever  its  origin,  I  did  not  hesitate  to  write  and  ask 
its  mistress  to  remove  it  to  the  other  side  of  the  street. 
This  lady  replied  that  she  had  had  it  placed  there  first, 
but  the  police  had  ordered  its  removal,  as  it  alarmed  the 
passers-by. 

Not  being  able  to  get  rid  of  the  bird,  I  should  perhaps 
have  got  accustomed  to  the  nuisance  ;  but  the  house  had 
been  inhabited  previously  to  my  taking  it  by  some  Indian 
Ambassadors,  and  I  was  told  that  these  people  had  buried 
two  of  their  slaves  in  my  cellar,  where  they  still  remained. 
What  with  corpses  and  birds,  it  was  really  too  much,  so  I 
left  Portman  Square,  and  established  myself  in  Maddox 
Street,  in  an  apartment  which  was  frightfully  damp,  which 
did  not  however  prevent  my  remaining  there,  as  I  was 
tired  of  such  constant  moving. 

Great  and  beautiful  as  London  is,  it  offers  less  resources 
for  an  artist  than  Paris  or  the  Italian  cities.  It  is  not  that 
England  does  not  possess  many  precious  works  of  art,  but 
the  greater  number  are  the  property  of  private  individuals, 
who  make  them  the  ornament  of  their  town  or  country 
houses.  At  the  time  of  which  I  speak,  London  did  not 
possess  any  museum  of  pictures,  that  which  exists  at  the 
present  time  being  the  fruit  of  legacies  and  presents  made 
to  the  nation  within  the  last  few  years.  For  want  of 
pictures,  I  went  to  see  the  monuments.  I  returned  several 
times  to  Westminster  Abbey,  where  the  tombs  of  the 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  343 

Kings  and  Queens  are  superb.  I  admired,  amongst  others 
that  of  Mary  Stuart,  in  which  the  remains  of  that  un- 
fortunate Queen  were  placed  by  her  son,  James  I.  I  stayed 
a  long  while  in  that  part  of  the  Abbey  consecrated 
to  the  great  poets,  Milton,  Shakespeare,  Pope,  Chatterton. 
It  is  well  known  that  the  last-named,  dying  of  want, 
poisoned  himself,  and  I  could  not  help  thinking  that  the 
money  employed  on  raising  his  tomb  would  have  sufficed 
to  have  procured  him  a  comfortable  existence. 

St.  Paul's  Cathedral  is  also  very  fine.  It  is  an  imitation 
of  the  cupola  of  St.  Peter's,  at  Rome. 

I  saw  at  the  Tower  of  London  a  very  curious  collection 
of  armour  of  different  centuries.  Amongst  it  was  a  series 
of  figures  of  sovereigns  on  horseback,  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable being  Elizabeth,  rekdy  to  review  her  troops. 

The  British  Museum  possesses  a  collection  of  minerals, 
arms  and  utensils  belonging  to  the  savages  of  the  South 
Sea,  and  brought  to  England  by  the  celebrated  Captain 
Cook. 

The  streets  of  London  are  finely  proportioned  and  clean. 
The  large  pavements  made  them  very  commodious  for 
foot-passengers;  also  I  was  much  surprised  to  find  myself 
a  witness  of  scenes  that  civilization  would  appear  to  pro- 
scribe. It  was  no  means  rare  to  see  "boxers"  fighting  in 
the  streets,  and  covered  with  blood.  Far  from  this  dis- 
gusting spectacle  appearing  to  shock  the  lookers-on,  I 
noticed  that  they  stimulated  the  combatants  by  giving 
them  glasses  of  gin.    It  was  a  frightful  sight. 

The  Sundays  in  London  are  as  dull  as  the  climate.  No 
shops  open,  no  theatres,  no  balls,  or  concerts.    A  general 


344 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


silence  reigns  everywhere,  and,  as  on  this  day  no  one  can 
work  or  play  any  instrument  without  running  the  risk  of 
their  windows  being  broken  by  the  people;  you  have  no 
other  resource  for  passing  the  time  but  the  public  walks, 
which  are  much  frequented. 

The  grand  amusements  of  the  best  society  are  parties, 
which  are  called  "routs."  Two  or  three  hundred  people 
walk  up  and  down  in  the  drawing-rooms,  the  women  arm- 
in-arm  with  each  other,  for  the  men  keep  themselves  apart. 
In  this  crowd  one  is  pressed  and  knocked  about  contin- 
ually, so  that  one  becomes  dreadfully  fatigued  ;  neverthe- 
less there  are  no  seats  !  At  one  of  these  routs  I  met  an 
Englishman,  whom  I  had  known  in  Italy.  He  came  up  to 
me,  and  amid  the  profound  silence  which  always  reigns  in 
these  assemblies,  said,  "  Are  not  these  parties  very  amus- 
ing ? "  "  You  find  your  amusement  in  what  we  should,  call 
dulness,"  I  replied.  I  could  not  see,  in  fact,  what  pleasure 
there  could  be  in  stifling  oneself  in  a  crowd  which  is  too 
great  for  you  to  be  able  to  get  near  the  mistress  of  the  house. 

The  walks  in  London  are  not  at  all  gay  ;  the  women  all 
walk  together  on  one  side  dressed  in  white.  Their  silence, 
their  perfect  calm  might  make  one  fancy  they  were  shad- 
ows passing  along.  The  men  keep  themselves  apart  from 
them,  and  maintain  the  same  serious  appearance.  I  have 
sometimes  met  a  man  and  woman  walking  together  arm-in 
arm.  When  I  have  happened  to  walk  near  such  a  pair,  I 
have  amused  myself  by  watching  if  they  spoke  to  each 
other.    I  never  heard  them  utter  a  word. 

The  first  artist  I  visited  in  London  was  Mr.  West,  a 
renowned  historical  painter ;  I  saw  at  his  house  many 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  345 

pictures  that  he  had  not  quite  finished,  the  composition  of 
which  appeared  very  fine. 

I  visited  nearly  all  the  principal  artists,  and  was  ex- 
tremely surprised  to  see  with  all  of  them  a  quantity  of  «^ 
portraits  of  which  the  head  alone  was  finished.  I  asked 
them  why  they  sent  portraits  in  this  condition  to  be  exhib- 
ited ;  they  all  replied,  that  the  persons  who  had  sat  for 
them  were  contented  to  be  seen  and  named  ;  and  besides, 
the  sketch  once  made,  half  the  price  was  paid  in  advance, 
and  the  painter  was  satisfied. 

I  saw,  whilst  in  London,  many  of  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds' 
famous  pictures  ;  they  are  a  most  excellent  colour,  and 
remind  one  of  Titian,  but  in  general  are  unfinished  with 
the  exception  of  the  head.  I  admired  an  Infant  Samuel 
of  his,  which  charmed  me  both  for  its  finish  and  colour. 
Reynolds  was  as  modest  as  he  was  clever ;  when  my  por- 
trait of  M.  de  Calonne  arrived  at  the  London  custom- 
house, he  went  to  see  it,  and  this  is  what  I  have  been  told 
by  persons  who  heard  him.  When  the  case  was  opened  he 
gazed  at  it  for  some  little  time,  and  inspected  it,  where- 
upon some  spectator  who  repeated  the  idle  words  of  cal- 
umny, said  : 

This  portrait  ought  to  be  good,  for  Madame  Le  Brun 
received  ;^3,2oo  for  it." 

"Well,"  replied  Reynolds,  "if  they  gave  me  ^^4,000  for 
it,  I  could  not  have  done  it  as  well." 

The  London  climate  greatly  worried  this  artist,  as  it  is 
so  unfavourable  for  drying  the  paint,  and  he  had  tried 
mixing  wax  with  his  paints,  but  this  he  found  deadened 
them. 


346 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


When  going  to  a  painter's  house  in  England  to  see  his 
pictures,  it  is  the  custom  to  pay  a  certain  sum  before  enter- 
ing the  studio,  and  in  general  it  is  the  painter  himself  who 
benefits  by  the  money  given  to  the  servants.  My  domestic 
was  the  only  one  who  profited  by  it ;  this  good  fellow  gave 
me  all  his  savings  to  keep  for  him,  and  at  last  I  had  sixty 
guineas,  which  he  had  received  from  people  who  came  to 
see  my  pictures.  The  celebrated  Fox  came  several  times, 
and  paid  the  customary  fee  on  each  occasion  ;  I  was  very 
sorry  never  to  have  been  at  home  to  receive  him,  for  I  had 
a  great  desire  to  see  this  great  politician.  I  was  more  for- 
tunate with  Mrs.  Siddons,  whose  visit  I  did  not  lose  ;  I 
had  seen  this  celebrated  actress  for  the  first  time  in  the 
"  Gambler,"  and  I  cannot  express  the  gratification  I  experi- 
enced. I  do  not  believe  it  possibly  for  anyone  to  possess 
greater  talent  than  Mrs.  Siddons  for  the  stage  ;  all  the 
English  were  unanimous  in  praising  her  perfect  and  natural 
style.  The  tone  of  her  voice  was  enchanting  ;  that  of 
Mademoiselle  Mars  alone  at  all  resembling  it,  and  what 
constituted  to  my  mind  the  great  tragedian,  was  her  very 
silence,  so  admirable  in  expression. 

Happily  the  day  on  which  I  received  Mrs.  Siddons  was 
not  one  of  those  when  I  did  not  expect  visitors,  and  in 
consequence  I  was  not  caught  in  one  of  my  fits  of  abstrac- 
tion, which  were  often  laughable.  Here  is  an  instance  : 
I  only  received  on  Sunday  mornings  the  people  who  came 
to  see  my  paintings ;  the  other  days,  I  was  constantly 
painting  in  my  studio,  in  a  very  careless  costume  ;  but  two 
English  ladies  who  were  leaving  that  week,  having  begged 
me  to  receive  them  before  their  departure,  I  fixed  Thurs- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  347 

day.  The  day  came,  and  whilst  waiting  for  them,  began 
to  paint  ;  my  good  Adelaide  hearing  that  I  expected 
ladies  who  dressed  elegantly,  told  me  that  I  must  not 
be  seen  in  my  painting  dress,  spotted  all  over  with 
colour,  and  with  a  night-cap  on  my  head.  I  consented, 
and  in  consequence  put  on  under  my  smock-frock  a 
charming  white  dress,  and  Adelaide  brought  me  my  pretty  *" 
little  wig  a  V antique^  as  worn  at  that  time,  recommending 
me  that  as  soon  as  I  heard  a  knock  at  the  street-door  to 
take  off  my  night-cap  and  smock,  and  to  put  on  my  wig. 
Occupied  by  my  work,  I  heard  no  knock  ;  but  heard  the 
ladies  coming  up  the  stairs.  I  quickly  seized  my  wig  and 
popped  it  on  over  my  night-cap,  and  I  quite  forgot  to 
take  off  my  smock.  I  noticed  at  once  that  the  English 
ladies  looked  at  me  in  a  curious  manner,  without  my  being 
able  to  imagine  the  reason  ;  at  last,  after  they  had  left, 
Adelaide  came  in,  and  seeing  me  attired  in  this  fashion, 
she  was  quite  angry,  and  said  : 

"  Jiist  go  and  look  at  yourself  in  the  glass  !  " 

I  then  perceived  that  the  frill  of  my  cap  came  out  from 
under  my  wig,  and  that  I  had  kept  on  my  smock  ;  Ade- 
laide was  furious,  and  she  was  right,  for  these  ladies  must 
have  thought  me  crazy,  and  I  hope  that  what  I  have  just 
written  may  one  day  come  under  their  notice. 

Though  my  rooms  in  Maddox  Street  were  decidedly 
damp,  they  were  large  and  convenient  for  receptions,  so 
that  I  was  able  to  give  many  grand  soirees  j  one  amongst 
others  which  was  very  brilliant,  where  the  two  best  singers 
of  the  London  opera,  Mrs.  Billington  and  Madame  Gras- 
sini,  sang  two  duets  together  with  rare  perfection  ;  Viotti 


348 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


played  the  violin  and  charmed  everyone.  The  Prince  of 
Wales,  who  M^as  present  at  my  concert,  said  to  me  most 
graciously  : 

I  take  a  passing  look  at  all  the  soirees ^  but,  here,  I 
remain." 

I  presented  Madame  Grassini  to  all  the  great  ladies  I 
had  invited  ;  for  she  was  much  sought  after  in  London, 
which  was  very  natural,  seeing  that  she  joined  to  her 
beauty  and  talent  a  most  amiable  disposition ;  her  voice 
was  low,  called  a  contralto,  which  is  very  rare  and  greatly 
esteem.ed  in  Italy,  whilst  Mrs.  Billington's  was  a  soprano  ; 
but  each  of  them  sometimes  encroached  on  the  domain  of 
her  rival,  which  was  not  an  advantage  to  either.  I  re- 
member one  day  being  present  at  an  opera  in  which  both 
Mrs.  Billington  and  Madame  Grassini  sang,  and  that  the 
latter  sang  some  very  high  notes.  The  director  came 
into  my  box,  and  said  in  a  furious  manner  : 

"  You  see  what  is  happening  ;  well  !  it  does  not  astonish 
me,  for  when  I  went  this  morning  to  see  these  ladies,  I 
found  Mrs.  Billington  singing  her  part  in  the  bass,  and 
Madame  Grassini  in  the  treble  ;  this  is  what  enrages  me." 

Concerts  were  very  fashionable  in  London,  and  I  much 
preferred  them  to  the  roiits^  though  these  to  a  foreigner 
offered  the  best  means  of  meeting  the  highest  classes  of 
society.  Invitations  are  not  sent  by  letter  as  in  France  ; 
only  a  card  on  which  is  written  :  at  home  on  such  a  day. 

Lady  Hertford,  who  was  a  very  handsome  woman,  gave 
superb  routs,  I  frequently  met  Lady  Monck  with  her  two 
daughters  at  Lady  Hertford's ;  also  Lord  Barrington,  who 
was  a  great  lover  of  art,  and  whose  conversation  delighted 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  349 

me,  also  many  others  who  soon  formed  an  agreeable  so- 
ciety for  me,  notwithstanding  all  that  may  be  said  of  the 
reserve  of  the  English  as  a  rule. 

The  most  admired  woman  in  London  at  this  period 
was  the  Duchess  of  Devonshire.  I  had  often  heard  of 
her  beauty  and  of  her  great  influence  in  political  aifairs, 
and  when  I  called  on  her  she  received  me  most  kindly. 
She  was  about  forty-five  years'  of  age.  Her  features  were 
very  regular  ;  but  I  was  not  struck  with  her  beauty.  She 
had  too  high  a  colour,  and  had  lost  the  sight  of  one  eye. 
As  at  this  time  it  was  the  fashion  to  wear  the  hair  low  on 
the  forehead,  she  concealed  this  eye  under  a  mass  of 
curls.  The  Duchess  of  Devonshire  was  of  medium 
height,  and  not  too  stout  for  her  age ;  her  easy  manners 
were  extremely  gracious. 

I  went  again  to  her  house  for  a  public  concert  and  rout. 
It  is  the  custom  of  the  English  aristocracy  to  lend  their 
reception  rooms  for  purposes  of  this  kind,  reserving  one 
or  two  rooms  for  their  own  friends  and  acquaintances.  I 
was  of  this  number,  anS  whilst  sitting  near  the  Duchess 
she  made  me  notice  a  man  seated  a  good  way  from,  but 
facing  us,  and  said  to  me  : 

Has  he  not  a  Remarkably  intellectual  and  distinguished 
appearance  ?  " 

This  was  Sir  Francis  Burdett,  whose  election  as  a  Mem- 
ber of  Parliament  she  had  so  greatly  helped  to  gain.  I 
shall  never  forget  the  terror  his  triumph  caused  me,  on 
meeting  one  day  in  the  street  a  coach  full  of  people  both 
outside  and  in,  all  yelling  :  Sir  -Francis  Burdett  !  Sir 
Francis  Burdett  1  "    The  greater  number  of  these  people 


350         SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 

were  drunk,  and  were  throwing  stones  at  the  windows  in 
the  street.  As  I  was  perfectly  ignorant  of  the  meaning 
of  such  a  scene,  I  was  greatly  alarmed,  thinking  that  a 
revolution  had  broken  out  in  England.  I  quickly  re- 
turned to  my  own  house,  where  I  was  happy  to  find  Prince 
Bariatinsky,  who  had  lived  a  long  while  in  London,  and 
fancying  I  might  be  uneasy,  had  called  to  reassure  me. 
He  told  me  that  this  sort  of  thing  always  took  place  at 
the  time  of  any  important  election,  and  that  by  the  fol- 
lowing day,  it  would  be  quiet. 

The  Duchess  of  Devonshire  had  used  all  her  influence 
for  the  election  of  Fox  to  Parliament,  and  succeeded  at  a 
time  when  it  appeared  almost  hopeless.  Never  myself 
mixing  in  politics,  I  could  not  understand  how  this  great 
lady,  who  was  at  the  head  of  the  popular  party,  was  also 
so  intimate  with  the  Prince  of  Wales.  In  fact  she  some- 
times lectured  him.  On  one  occasion  at  a  rout  where 
they  were  both  present,  I  reproached  the  Prince  of  Wales 
for  having  failed  to  keep  his  appointment  for  a  sitting  : 
the  Duchess  appeared  much  pleased  at  my  frankness,  and 
said  : 

"You  are  right,  princes  ought  never  to  break  their 
word."  . 

I  heard  in  France,  in  1808,  of  the  death  of  the  Duchess 
of  Devonshire,  who  left  three  children  ;  a  son,  the  present 
Duke,  and  two  daughters  ;  one  married  Lord  Granville, 
now  English  Ambassador  to  France,  and  the  other  mar- 
ried Lord  Morpeth. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

The  Prince  of  Wales — I  take  his  Portrait — Mrs.  Fitzherbert — My 
Letter  to  an  English  Painter — M.  le  Comte  d'Artois — The  Com- 
tesse  de  Polastron — The  Due  de  Berri. 

HORTLY  after  my  arrival  in  London,  the 
Treaty  of  Amiens  having  been  broken,  all  the 
French  who  had  not  lived  in  England  over  a 
year  were  obliged  to  leave  at  onee.  The  Prince  of  Wales, 
to  whom  I  had  been  presented,  assured  me  that  I  should 
not  be  included  in  this  order,  and  that  he  would  immedi- 
ately obtain  the  King's  consent  to  my  remaining.  This 
permission  was  at  once  given  me,  with  all  the  necessary 
details,  mentioning  that  /  might  travel  wherever  I  pleased 
throughout  the  Kingdom.  This  was  a  favour  that  the 
French  who  had  lived  years  in  England  could  rarely  ob- 
tain. The  Prince  of  Wales  completed  his  act  of  courtesy 
by  bringing  me  the  order  himself. 

The  Prince  of  Wales  must  have  been  at  this  period 
about  forty  years  of  age,  but  he  looked  older,  as  he  was 
already  too  stout.  Tall  and  well-made,  he  had  a  fine 
face  ;  all  his  features  were  noble  and  regular.  He  wore  a 
wig,  arranged  with  much  skill,  the  hair  being  divided  in 
front  like  that  of  the  Apollo  Belvedere,  and  which  suited 
him  admirably.    He  was  fond  of  athletic  exercises  ;  he 


352 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


spoke  French  well  and  easily.  He  had  a  most  elegant 
appearance,  and  he  was  magnificent  to  prodigality  in  his 
.tastes :  his  debts  were  so  enormous  that  at  last  his  father 
and  Parliament  ended  by  paying  them. 

As  he  was  for  a  long  while  one  of  the  handsomest  men 
in  the  three  Kingdoms,  he  also  became  the  idol  of  women. 
His  first  mistress  was  Mrs.  Robinson,  then,  later  on,  he 
had  a  more  serious  engagement  with  Mrs.  Fitzherbert, 
a  widow,  older  than  himself,  but  very  beautiful.  His  love 
was  so  violent  that  at  one  time  it  was  feared  he  would 
marry  this  woman,  who  was  the  daughter  of  one  of  the 
first  Catholic  families  in  Ireland.  His  inconstant  nature 
saved  him  from  this  danger,  and  since  then  many  women 
have  succeeded  Mrs.  Fitzherbert. 

It  was  shortly  before  my  departure  that  I  took  the  por- 
trait of  the  Prince  of  Wales.  It  was  nearly  full  length  and 
in  uniform.  Many  of  the  English  painters  were  furious 
against  me,  when  they  heard  I  had  commenced  this  pic- 
ture, and  that  the  Prince  gave  me  as  long  as  I  liked  to 
finish  it.  I  knew  that  the  Queen  had  said  her  son  paid 
court  to  me,  and  that  he  frequently  breakfasted  at  my 
house.  She  told  an  untruth,  for  the  Prince  of  Wales  never 
came  to  my  house  in  the  morning  except  for  a  sitting. 

As  soon  as  his  portrait  was  finished,  he  gave  it  to  his 
friend,  Mrs.  Fitzherbert.  She  had  it  arranged  in  a  frame 
on  wheels  (the  same  as  large  toilette-glasses),  so  as  to  be 
able  to  move  it  into  whatever  room  she  occupied. 

The  ill-temper  of  the  English  painters  did  not  confine 

itself  to  mere  words.    A  Mr.  M  ,  a  portrait"  painter, 

published  a  pamphlet,  in  which  he  treated  French  paint- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


353 


ing  in  general  with  much  bitterness,  and  mine  in  particu- 
lar. Some  parts  were  so  unfair  and  ridiculous  that, 
putting  aside  my  own  wounded  feelings,  I  felt  obliged  to 
take  upon  myself  the  defence  of  the  celebrated  painters 
whose  countrywoman  I  was,  and  I  wrote  this  gentleman  a 
severe  letter  on  the  subject.  This  letter,  which  I  read  to 
several  of  my  friends,  was  soon  the  topic  of  conversation 
in  London  society. 

I  met  many  of  my  countrymen  in  England  whom  I 
had  known  years  ago,  amongst  others,  the  Comte  de  Me- 
nard, the  Baron  de  Roll,  the  Due  de  Serant,  the  Due  de 
Riviere,  and  a  number  of  other  French  emigres^  whom  I 
invited  to  my  soirees.  I  had  the  happiness  of  meeting 
Monsieur  le  Comte  d'Artois.  I  met  him  at  a  party  at 
Lady  Percival's,  who  entertained  many  foreigners.  He 
was  much  stouter  than  when  I  had  last  seen  him,  and 
looked  very  handsome.  Shortly  afterwards  he  did  me 
the  honour  to  visit  my  studio.  I  was  absent,  and  only  re- 
turned at  the  moment  he  was  leaving  my  house,  but  he 
had  the  goodness  to  return,  in  order  to  compliment  me  on 
the  portrait  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  which  pleased  him  ex- 
tremely. 

Monsieur  le  Comte  d'Artois  did  not  go  much  into 
society.  Having  very  small  means,  he  saved  all  he  possi- 
bly could  to  help  the  more  necessitous  French  who  were 
emigre's  like  himself.  The  goodness  of  his  heart  made 
him  sacrifice  his  own  pleasures,  in  order  to  benefit  others. 
I  knew  this  for  a  fact,  by  an  incident  which  it  is  a  pleas- 
ure for  me  to  relate.  A  very  interesting  young  person, 
named  Merel,  who  played  beautifully  on  the  harp,  had 
come  to  London  in  the  hope  of  gaining  her  living.  She 


354 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


announced  a  concert.  I  assisted  her,  as  far  as  I  was  able, 
to  get  rid  of  her  tickets  ;  but,  in  spite  of  all  my  efforts, 
there  were  so  few  people  present,  and  it  was  so  terribly- 
cold,  I  was  obliged  to  leave  before  the  end  of  the  concert. 
I  mentioned  Mademoiselle  Merel's  misfortune  to  the 
Comte  de  Vaudreuil,  and  he  mentioned  it  to  the  Prince. 

Is  she  French  ?  "  asked  the  Comte  d'Artois,  and  receiv- 
ing a  reply  to  that  effect  by  Monsieur  de  Vaudreuil,  he 
charged  him  at  once  to  give  ten  guineas  to  the  young 
artist. 

Monsieur  le  Comte  d'Artois  never  left  his  old  friend 
the  Comtesse  de  Polastron,  who  was  only  an  invalid,  and 
unable  to  leave  her  house.  The  Prince's  solicitude  for 
her  was  so  great  that  "he  divined  all  her  wants,  and  was 
her  most  assiduous  nurse. 

Besides  her  ill-health,  Madame  de  Polastron  had  the 
misfortune  to  lose  her  only  son,  who  died  of  yellow  fever 
at  Gibraltar.  She  died  shortly  afterwards,  and  Monsieur 
le  Comte  d'Artois  remained  inconsolable. 

The  son  of  this  Prince,  M.  le  Due  de  Berri,  often  came 
to  visit  me  in  the  morning.  He  came  sometimes  carrying 
under  his  arm  small  pictures  that  he  had  purchased  at  a 
very  low  price.  What  proves  him  to  have  been  a  thor- 
ough connoisseur  in  painting,  was  that  these  pictures  were 
superb  Wouvermans  :  but  it  required  a  very  skilled  eye  to 
appreciate  their  merit  under  the  dirt  which  covered  them. 
I  have  since  seen  these  pictures  at  his  house  in  the  Palace 
of  the  Elysee-Bourbon. 

The  Due  de  Berri  was  also  passionately  fond  of  music. 
He  had  a  noble  disposition,  and  an  excellent  heart  ;  I 
could  relate  many  traits  of  his  kindness  to  his  inferiors, 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


355 


kindness  which  has  made  him  beloved  by  all  who  knew 
him. 

I  was  at  the  theatre  in  London  when  the  news  arrived 
of  the  assassination  of  the  Due  d'Enghien.  At  once  all 
the  ladies  who  filled  the  boxes  rose  to  leave,  and  the  piece 
would  not  have  been  finished,  if  a  report  had  not  been 
spread  that  the  news  was  false.  Everyone  reseated  them- 
selves ;  but,  on  leaving  the  theatre,  alas,  all  was  con- 
firmed. We  heard  also  some  of  the  details  of  this  atro- 
cious crime,  which  will  always  leave  a  horrible  stain  on 
the  life  of  Bonaparte. 

The  following  day  we  went  to  the  funeral  mass  which 
was  celebrated  for  the  repose  of  the  soul  of  this  noble  vic- 
tim. All  the  French,  our  Princes  included,  and  a  great 
many  English  ladies  were  present.  The  Abbe  de  Bouvant 
preached  a  most  touching  sermon  on  the  subject.  The 
sermon  concluded  by  an  invocation  to  the  All  Powerful 
that  a  similar  destiny  should  not  be  the  fate  of  our  dear 
Princes.  Alas  !  this  prayer  was  not  heard,  since  we  have 
seen  the  Due  de  Berri  fall  under  the  poniard  of  an  in- 
famous assassin. 

It  was  some  time  after  the  death  of  the  Due  d'Enghien 
before  I  again  saw  his  unfortunate  father,  the  Due  de 
Bourbon,  and  when  about  a  month  afterwards  he  came  to 
see  me,  sorrow  had  changed  him  to  such  an  extent  that 
he  quite  frightened  me.  He  could  not  speak  for  some 
time  on  entering,  but  seated  himself,  and  clasping  his 
hands  over  his  face,  which  was  wet  with  tears  said  :  "  No, 
I  shall  never  get  over  it  !  " 

It  would  be  impossible  to  describe  how  much  I  felt  for 
him  in  this  terrible  sorrow. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

The  Chinneiy  Family — Viotti — Windsor — Hampton  Court — Her- 
schel — Bath — The  Duchess  of  Dorset — Madame  de  Vaudreuil — M. 
le  Due  d'Orleans — M.  le  Due  de  Montpensier — The  Margravine  of 
Anspach — Stowe — Warwick. 

HOUGH  the  kind  reception  shown  me  had  in- 
duced me  to  remain  nearly  three  years  in 
London,  when  I  had  originally  intended  to 
stay  only  three  months,  the  climate  of  this  city  did  not 
suit  me,  and  I  seized  every  opportunity  of  inhaling  the 
pure  air  at  the  beautiful  country-seats  of  England,  where 
besides  I  saw  the  sun.  Soon  after  my  arrival,  I  com- 
menced by  passing  a  fortnight  with  Mrs.  Chinnery  at  Gill- 
well,  where  I  met  the  celebrated  Viotti.  The  house  was 
most  elegant,  and  I  was  received  most  cordially.  The  en- 
trance door  was  ornamented  with  garlands  of  flowers. 
The  staircase  was  decorated  in  the  same  manner  ;  in 
short  it  was  like  fairyland.  On  my  entry  into  the  draw- 
ing-room, two  little  angels,  Mrs.  Chinnery 's  son  and 
daughter,  sang  a  charming  little  song  that  the  amiable 
Viotti  had  composed  for  me.  I  was  quite  touched  by 
such  an  affectionate  reception  ;  and  the  fortnight  passed 
at  Gillwell  I  have  always  remembered  as  one  of  joy  and 
-    happiness.    Mrs.  Chinnery  was  a  very  lovely  woman,  with 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


357 


a  highly  cultivated  mind.  Her  daughter,  then  fourteen 
years  of  age,  exhibited  a  surprising  talent  for  the  piano, 
so  that  every  evening,  this  young  girl,  Viotti  and  Mrs. 
Chinnery,  who  was  herself  a  good  musician,  afforded  us 
most  charming  concerts. 

I  recollect  that  Mrs.  Chinnery's  son  though  still  quite  a 
child,  had  a  veritable  passion  for  reading.  They  could 
not  induce  him  to  leave  his  books.  At  the  age  of  eigh- 
teen this  young  man  had  already  acquired  so  much  notice 
for  his  talents,  that  at  the  Restoration  he  was  deputed  to 
regulate  the  accounts  of  the  expenses  occasioned  by  the 
stay  of  the  English  Army  in  France. 

I  frequently  made  excursions  in  the  environs  of  London, 
and  employed  in  this  manner  all  the  time  I  could  give  to 
my  pleasures. 

At  Windsor,  where  the  King  resided,  I  only  admired 
the  park,  which  is  very  fine.  The  King  frequently  walked 
with  his  two  daughters  on  a  magnificent  terrace,  where 
there  is  a  superb  and  extended  view. 

Hampton  Court  is  another  royal  residence  where  I  saw 
some  splendid  painted  windows,  superior  to  any  I  had 
ever  seen  before.  There  were  also  some  fine  pictures  and 
grand  cartoons  designed  by  Raffaelle,  that  I  could  not 
sufficiently  admire. 

I  went  with  Prince  Bariatinsky  and  several  other  Rus- 
sians to  visit  Doctor  Herschel.  This  celebrated  astrono- 
mer lived  quietly  at  some  distance  from  London.  His 
sister,  who  never  left  him,  aided  him  in  his  astronomical 
researches,  and  both  of  them  were  worthy  of  each  other, 
as  much  for  their  learning,  as  for  their  noble  simplicity. 


358  SOUVENIRS  OF 

We  saw  there  a  telescope  of  such  enormous  dimensions, 
that  one  might  almost  have  been  able  to  walk  inside  it. 

The  Doctor  received  us  with  the  most  obliging  cor- 
diality ;  he  had  the  kindness  to  show  us  the  sun  through 
brown  glasses  ;  and  in  the  evening  we  saw  the  planet 
which  he  had  discovered  and  which  bore  his  name  ;  we 
also  saw  a  large  map  of  the  moon  on  which  was  repre- 
sented the  mountains,  ravines,  and  rivers,  which  make 
this  planet  resemble  the  globe  which  we  inhabit ;  we  were 
all  delighted  by  our  visit. 

I  cannot  speak  of  the  environs  of  London,  without  men- 
tioning several  beautiful  places  where  the  English  go  to 
take  the  waters. 

Matlock,  for  instance,  reminded  me  of  Swiss  scenery. 
The  public  walk  is  bordered  on  one  side  by  fine  rocks, 
covered  with  flowering  shrubs,  and  on  the  other  by  grassy 
swards.  The  vegetation  in  England  is  perfectly  beautiful, 
and  presents  a  delicious  prospect  to  lovers  of  nature. 

Tunbridge  Wells  is  another  very  picturesque  watering 
place,  and  it  is  certainly  true  that  though  one  can  be  well 
amused  in  the  mornings  walking  about  the  lovely  environs, 
yet  the  evenings  are  very  dull,  notwithstanding  that  par- 
ties are  of  constant  occurrence.  At  these  assemblies, 
"  God  save  the  King,"  is  invariably  played  after  supper, 
which  always  affected  me  greatly,  as  I  could  not  help 
drawing  comparisons  on  the  different  state  of  public  feel- 
ing in  England  and  in  France. 

Brighton,  which  is  the  residence  of  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
is  even  more  renowned  for  its  waters  than  Tunbridge  Wells, 
or  Matlock.     It  is  a  very  fine  town,  and  faces  Dieppe. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


359 


I  also  visited  Bath,  which  place  had  been  always  pointed 
out  to  me  as  the  gayest  in  England,  and  I  copy  a  letter  I 
wrote  to  my  brother  on  my  return  to  London,  from  visit- 
ing it. 

"London,  Februai7  i2th,  1803. 

"  I  have  not  written  to  you  for  some  weeks,  my  dear 
good  friend  ;  do  not  be  angry  with  me,  for  the  days  are  so 
short,  and  I  write  so  little.  The  evenings,  on  the  con- 
trary, are  very  long,  and  if  writing  by  candle  light  did  not 
fatigue  my  eyes  too  much,  I  could  send  you  volumes. 

"  I  see  you  are  uneasy  on  my  account  as  to  how  I  en- 
dure the  fogs,  and  the  smoke  of  coal  fires  ;  to  this  last  I 
am  now  quite  accustomed — I  even  prefer  it  to  our  own  ; 
but  to  the  dense  heavy  atmosphere  which  surrounds  me,  I 
shall  never  get  reconciled.  However,  five  or  six  miles  out 
of  London,  you  find  a  totally  different  climate,  and  I  get 
away  as  often  as  possible  in  order  to  inhale  it. 

I  have  just  returned  from  Bath,  a  place  I  had  often 
desired  to  see.  It  is  a  superb  town,  and  beautifully  sit- 
uated. It  is  the  most  fashionable  resort  in  England. 
There  is  no  end  to  the  balls,  concerts,  and  routs,  which 
are  held  in  the  public  rooms,  which  are  capable  of  holding 
five  or  six  hundred  people.  At  one  of  the  concerts,  I 
heard  Madame  Krumoltz  who  played  exquisitely  on  the 
harp.  After  the  concert,  we  had  supper  in  a  large  room 
filled  with  long  and  very  narrow  tables,  reminding  one  of 
a  refectory.  I  was  with  Madame  de  Beaurepaire,  and  we 
seated  ourselves  by  the  side  of  two  old  and  very  ugly 
Englishwomen.  I  soon  discovered  they  were  of  the 
number  of  those  who  never  quit  their  native  town,  and 


360  SOUVENIRS  OF 

were,  in  consequence,  very  stiff  and  haughty  in  their  de- 
meanour. As  a  rule,  the  great  ladies  of  London,  and 
Englishwomen  who  have  travelled,  are  amiable  and  polite, 
whilst  our  neighbours,  as  soon  as  they  were  seated,  turned 
their  back  on  us  with  a  very  scornful  air.  We  resigned 
ourselves  to  endure  the  disdain  of  these  old  women,  when 
an  Englishman  of  their  acquaintance  came  up  and  whis- 
pered a  few  words  to  them,  when  they  immediately  turned 
round,  and  seemed  at  once  disposed  to  become  polite. 

"  I  remained  three  weeks  at  Bath,  and  did  not  find  it 
either  gay  or  amusing.  It  rained  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
time  I  was  there.  Write  to  me  soon.  Adieu,  my  dear 
friend." 

Shortly  before  my  visit  to  Bath,  I  spent  some  days  at 
Knowles,  which,  after  having  once  belonged  to  Queen 
Elizabeth,  was  now  in  possession  of  the  Duchess  of  Dor- 
set. In  front  of  the  hall  door  are  two  large  elm  trees 
which  are  said  to  be  over  a  thousand  years  old.  The  park 
is  extremely  picturesque. 

The  Castle  contains  many  fine  pictures,  the  furniture  is 
of  the  time  of  Elizabeth.  In  the  Duchess's  bed-room  the 
curtains  are  all  strewn  with  gold  and  silver  stars  and  the 
toilette  apparatus  is  in  solid  silver. 

The  Duchess  of  Dorset,  who  was  very  rich,  had  married 
Mr.  Wilfort,  whom  I  had  known  as  English  Ambassador 
at  St.  Petersburg.  This  gentleman  possessed  no  fortune 
of  his  own,  but  he  was  very  handsome,  and  had  a  noble 
and  dignified  appearance. 

The  first  time  we  sat  down  to  dinner,  the  Duchess  said  , 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  36 1 

to  me,  "  You  will  find  it  very  dull,  for  we  never  speak  at 
table."  I  reassured  her  on  this  point,  as  I  was  accus- 
tomed'to  dining  alone.  She  certainly  kept  this  rule  most 
rigorously,  for  at  dessert,  her  son,  between  eleven  and 
twelve  years  of  age,  spoke  a  few  words  to  her,  when  she 
sent  him  away,  without  the  smallest  mark  of  tenderness.  I 
could  not  help  thinking  on  what  I  had  heard .  of  English 
mothers — that,  in  general,  they  took  little  notice  of  their 
children  when  they  were  no  longer  quite  small,  and  that 
they  only  care  for  babies. 

I  again  met  in  London  the  amiable  Comte  de  Vau- 
dreuil.  He  was  looking  much  changed  and  very  thin.  All 
that  he  had  gone  through  in  France  had  shaken  his  con- 
stitution. He  had  married  his  niece  whilst  in  England, 
and  I  went  to  see  her  at  Twickenham,  where  she  resided. 
Madame  la  Comtesse  de  Vaudreuil  was  young  and  pretty. 
She  had  large  blue  eyes,  and  a  charming,  fresh  face.  She 
invited  me  to  spend  a  few  days  with  her,  at  Twickenham, 
which  I  did,  and  during  that  time  took  the  portrait  of 
her  two  sons. 

Monsieur  le  Due  d'Orleans  (afterwards  Louis  Phillipe, 
King  of  the  French),  with  his  two  brothers,  lived  quite 
near  them.  The  Comte  de  Vaudreuil  took  me  to  call  on 
the  Due  d'Orleans,  who  had  been  very  kind  to  him.  We 
found  this  Prince,  whose  delight  was  in  study,  seated  at  a 
long  table,  covered  with  books,  one  of  which  was  open  be- 
fore him.  Whilst  we  were  with  him,  he  made  me  notice  a 
landscape  painted  by  his  brother,  the  Due  de  Montpen- 
sier,  with  whom  I  also  made  acquaintance  during  my  stay 
at  Madame  de  Vaudreuil's.  I  only  saw  the  younger 
16 


362 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


Prince,  the  Due  de  Beaujolais,  out  walking.  He  was 
good-looking  and  very  lively. 

The  Due  de  Montpensier  came  sometimes  to  take  me  out 
sketching  with  him.  He  took  me  to  see  the  superb  view 
from  the  terrace  at  Richmond.  He  also  showed  me  the 
trunk  of  the  tree  under  which  Milton  sat  when  composing 
his  Paradise  Lost."  The  environs  of  Twickenham  are 
very  interesting,  and  the  Due  de  Montpensier  knew  their 
beauties  so  well  that  I  congratulated  myself  on  having  him 
for  a  cicerone^  and  all  the  more  that  this  young  Prince  was 
extremely  kind  and  good. 

I  had  promised  to  take  the  portrait  of  the  Margravine 
of  Anspach,  who  came  to  invite  me  to  pass  some  days  with 
her  at  her  country-seat.  As  I  had  been  told  that  the 
Margravine  was  a  very  eccentric  woman,  who  would  never 
leave  me  quiet  for  a  moment,  who  would  wake  me  up  at 
five  o'clock  every  morning,  with  a  thousand  other  insup- 
portable things,  I  only  accepted  her  invitation  after  mak- 
ing certain  conditions.  I,  first  of  all,  asked  for  a  bed-room 
where  I  should  hear  no  noise,  as  I  liked  sleeping  late.  I 
also  told  her  that  I  liked  to  walk  alone.  The  excellent 
woman  consented  to  everything,  and  religiously  kept  her 
word,  to  such  a  point  that  if  by  chance  I  met  her  in  her 
park,  where  she  often  worked  like  a  common  labourer,  she 
would  not  appear  to  see  me,  and  would  let  me  pass  with- 
out saying  one  word. 

Whether  the  Margravine  of  Anspach  had  been  calumni- 
ated, or  whether  she  had  the  goodness  to  restrain  herself 
for  me,  I  must  own  that  during  the  whole  of  my  visit  I 
was  perfectly  happy,  so  that  when  she  asked  me  to  pay 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  363 

her  a  visit  at  another  of  her  country  residences,  named 
Benheim,  I  did  not  hesitate  to  go  there.  The  park  and 
house  at  this  last-named  place  were  much  finer  than  at 
Armsmott,  and  I  passed  my  time  there  so  agreeably,  that 
instead  of  staying  one  week,  I  remained  three. 

I  made  some  excursions  with  the  Margravine  by  sea. 
We  visited  the  Isle  of  Wight,  which  in  some  parts  re- 
minded me  of  Switzerland.  This  island  is  renowned  for 
the  gentle  and  peaceable  manners  of  its  inhabitants.  They 
all  live  like  one  family,  I  am  told,  and  enjoy  the  greatest 
peace  and  happiness.  It  is  possible  that  since  the  time  of 
which  I  write,  a  great  many  regiments  having  been  quar- 
tered in  the  island,  the  tranquillity  may  have  been  dimin- 
ished. The  Isle  of  Wight  and  the  Island  of  Ischia  are 
the  only  ones  on  which  I  could  have  wished  to  pass  my  life. 

These  maritime  excursions  pleased  me  very  much,  and 
we  frequently  renewed  them. 

I  found  it  very  agreeable,  at  the  time  when  London  is 
deserted,  to  visit  as  many  country-houses  as  I  could,  and 
I  accepted  most  gratefully  all  the  invitations  I  received. 
I  thus  made  the  best  I  could  of  the  monotony  of  English 
life,  which  could  never  be  to  my  taste,  after  having  lived  so 
long  in  Paris  and  St.  Petersburg.  I  stayed  some  time  at 
Stowe  with  the  Marchioness  of  Buckingham.  The  man- 
sion was  magnificent  and  full  of  pictures  by  the  old  mas- 
ters. I  remember  a  grand  portrait  of  Vandyke,  where  the 
hand  was  so  beautiful  and  so  finely  in  relief,  that  I  was 
almost  tempted  to  believe  it  real.  The  park  at  Stowe  is 
perfection. 

The  Marquis  and  Marchioness  of  Buckingham  received 


3^4 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


French  people  with  infinite  grace  and  kindness.  They 
had  both  been  most  generous  in  assisting  distinguished 
^migr^s ;  this  I  learnt  through  the  Due  de  Serant,  who 
had  stayed  a  long  time  with  them,  and  was  truly  grateful 
to  this  noble  couple. 

I  also  visited  the  country  seat  of  Lord  Moira.  Though 
I  have  forgotten  the  name  of  his  house,  I  remember  that 
it  was  most  comfortable,  and  scrupulously  clean.  Lord 
Moira's  sister,  Lady  Charlotte,  did  the  honours  with  much 
grace  and  kindness,  but  nevertheless  it  was  dull !  At  din- 
ner, the  ladies  left  before  the  dessert  ;  the  men  remaining 
to  drink  and  talk  politics.  It  is  necessary  to  say,  however, 
that  at  none  of  the  entertainments  at  which  I  was  present 
were  the  men  ever  intoxicated,  which  proves  to  me  that  if 
this  custom  existed  in  England  as  one  heard  so  often,  it 
never  did  so  in  good  society.  I  must  mention  that  I  dined 
several  times  at  Lord  Moira's  with  the  Due  de  Berri,  who 
had  been  out  hunting  all  day,  and  I  noticed  that  he  drank 
nothing  but  water,  though  calumny  asserted  that  he  in- 
dulged in  too  much  wine. 

After  dinner  all  the  ladies  used  to  retire  into  a  long 
room,  and  occupied  themselves  with  embroidery  and  wool 
work.  No  one  spoke  a  word.  On  their  side,  the  gentle- 
men took  their  books,  an^  kept  the  same  silence. 

One  fine  moonlight  night,  I  asked  Lord  Moira's  sister  if 
I  might  be  allowed  to  take  a  stroll  in  the  park.  She  re- 
plied that  the  shutters  were  closed,  and  that  it  would  be 
imprudent  to  open  them,  as  the  picture  gallery  was  on  the 
ground  floor.  As  there  was  a  magnificent  library,  contain- 
ing a  beautiful  collection  of  engravings,  my  only  resource 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


was  to  take  possession  of  these  works,  and  look  them  all 
through,  refraining  as  the  custom  was  from  making  a  sin- 
gle remark.  On  one  occasion,  I  uttered  an  exclamation 
of  delight  at  the  sight  of  a  particularly  charming  engrav- 
ing, and  shall  not  easily  forget  the  surprised  looks  of  all 
present.  However,  it  is  a  fact,  that  the  total  absence  of 
conversation  in  England  is  not  caused  by  the  impossibility 
of  talking  agreeably  ;  I  know  many  English  who  are  very 
witty,  and  I  may  add,  I  never  met  one  who  was  a  fool. 

The  season  was  too  far  advanced  whilst  I  was  at  Lord 
Moira's  for  me  to  take  any  long  walks  in  the  neighbour- 
hood. Lady  Charlotte  invited  me  to  drive  with  her  in  her 
pony-carriage,  which  was  as  hard  as  a  country  cart,  so  that 
I  could  not  endure  it  for  any  time.  Englishwomen  are  so 
accustomed  to  the  severity  of  their  climate,  that  I  have 
frequently  met  them  in  pouring  rain  in  open  carriages  and 
with  no  umbrellas.  They  content  themselves  with  wrap- 
ping a  cloak  round  them,  which  is  decidedly  inconvenient 
to  a  foreigner,  unaccustomed  to  such  an  aquatic  mode  of 
proceeding. 

I  had  a  great  desire  to  see  Warwick  Castle,  which  I  had 
heard  so  much  praised.  I  went  there  hoping  to  visit  it 
incognito,  but  as  soon  as  Lord  Warwick  heard  my  name  he 
at  once  came  forward,  and  with  the  most  obliging  distinc- 
tion, himself  showed  me  the  Castle. 

After  introducing  me  to  his  wife,  who  asked  me  to 
luncheon,  and  made  me  promise  to  spend  a  few  daf s  with 
them.  Lord  Warwick  took  me  a  drive  round  the  park  ;  he 
also  showed  me,  amongst  many  other  works  of  art,  an 
enormous  antique  vase  of  the  greatest  beauty.    He  also 


366  SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 

pointed  out  to  me  the  two  little  heads  I  had  drawn  in 
chalk  on  the  panels  of  the  door  at  Sir  William  Hamilton's. 
He  told  me  he  had  paid  a  high  price  to  him  for  them,  to 
whom,  however,  I  had  not  sold  them. 

I  also  visited  Blenheim,  belonging  to  the  Duke  of  Marl- 
borough, where  I  saw  some  superb  pictures  and  a  very  fine 
park. 

Often  when  returning  from  these  different  visits,  I  have 
stopped  on  the  hills,  four  or  five  miles  from  London,  in  the 
hope  of  getting  a  look  at  this  immense  city,  but  the  fog 
which  hung  over  it  was  so  dense,  that  I  could  never  see 
anything  but  a  few  steeples. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


I  leave  England — Rotterdam — Antwerp — M.  d'Hedouville — I  arrive 
in  Paris — Madame  Catalani — Mademoiselle  Duchesnois — Madame 
Murat — I  take  her  portrait, 

HOUGH  I  had  only  intended  to  remain  four  or 
five  months  in  England,  I  was  there  nearly 
three  years,  detained  not  merely  by  my  pecu- 
niary interests  as  a  painter,  but  still  more  by  the  great 
kindness  shown  me.  I  have  often  heard  it  said  that  the 
English  are  not  a  hospitable  nation  ;  I  am  far  from  par- 
ticipating in  this  opinion,  and  I  shall  ever  retain  a  lively 
sense  of  gratitude  for  the  reception  accorded  to  me  in 
London.  I  should  not,  therefore,  have  decided  so  quickly 
on  returning  to  France,  if  I  had  not  heard  that  my 
daughter  had  arrived  in  Paris  ;  I  greatly  desired  to  see 
her,  and  all  the  more  that  I  heard  privately  that  her  father 
had  allowed  her  to  form  several  acquaintances,  who  ap- 
peared to  be  most  unsuitable  for  such  a  young  woman. 

As,  at  this  period,  Bonaparte  would  not  allow  any  of  the 
English  to  leave  France  who  had  not  done  so  before  the 
breach  of  the  Treaty  of  Amiens,  Lady  Heme,  well  known 
for  her  love  of  the  arts,  said  I  ought  to  be  kept  as  an  hos- 
tage. In  fact,  every  possible  motive  was  sought  after  by 
my  amiable  friends  to  induce  me  to  remain,  and,  under 

367 


368 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


Other  circumstances,  I  could  not  have  resisted  their  en- 
treaties. 

Just  as  I  was  getting  into  my  postchaise  to  start,  the 
charming  Madame  Grassini  arrived.  I  thought  she  had 
come  simply  to  wish  me  good-bye,  but  she  declared  she 
was  going  to  accompany  me  to  the  seaport  from  which  I 
was  to  embark,  and  made  me  get  into  her  carriage,  which 
was  filled  with  pillows  and  other  comforts. 
For  what  use  are  all  these  ?  "    I  asked. 

*^You  do  not  know  then,"  she  replied,  "that  you  are 
going  to  the  worst  inn  in  the  world  ?  you  may  have  to  re- 
main there  a  week  or  more,  if  the  wind  is  not  favourable, 
and  my-  intention  is  to  remain  with  you." 

I  cannot  say  how  deeply  I  felt  this  mark  of  interest. 
This  beautiful  woman  left  all  the  pleasures  of  London,  her 
friends,  without  speaking  of  a  crowd  of  adorers,  simply  to 
keep  me  company.    I  can  never  forget  it. 

I  embarked  for  Rotterdam,  where  I  arrived  at  five 
o'clock  in  the  morning  ;  but  we  were  retained  by  07'der  on 
board  till  nearly  two  o'clock.  Immediately  on  landing,  I 
went  to  see  the  Marquis  de  Beauharnais,  brother-in-law  to 
Josephine,  and  then  Prefect  of  Rotterdam.  As  I  came 
from  London,  he  informed  me  I  must  remain  from  eight 
to  ten  days  in  the  town,  which  annoyed  me  exceedingly  ; 
more  than  this,  I  was  sent  for  to  see  General  Oudinot,  and 
I  own  that  I  felt  rather  frightened  at  this  visit ;  but  the 
General  received  me  so  kindly,  that  my  fears  soon  fled, 
and  I  resigned  myself  to  wait  till  my  liberty  was  granted. 

The  Spanish  Ambassador,  whom  I  had  known  at  St. 
Petersburg,  and  who  resided  at  the  Hague,  having  heard 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  369 

of  my  misforturie,  took  pity  on  me  ;  he  frequently  called 
in  his  carriage  to  take  me  for  drives  in  the  environs.  At 
last,  after  waiting  ten  days,  I  received  my  passport  and  I 
was  free. 

I  left  for  Antwerp,  where  the  Prefect,  M.  d'Hedouville, 
showed  me  the  greatest  attention  ;  he  took  me  all  over  the 
city  and  I  saw  everything  remarkable  in  it.  On  the 
following  day  I  resumed  my  journey  to  Paris. 

It  was  a  great  joy  to  meet  again  my  old  friends,  and 
above  all  my  daughter.  Her  husband,  v/ho  had  accom- 
panied her  to  France,  had  been  commissioned  by  Prince 
Narischkin  to  procure  singers  for  St.  Petersburg  ;  he  re- 
mained a  few  months  and  then  returned  alone,  for  love 
had  long  since  fled,  and  my  daughter  stayed  in  Paris  to 
my  great  satisfaction.  For  her  misfortune  and  my  own. 
my  daughter  had  a  most  lively  disposition  ;  and  I  was  un- 
able to  make  her  feel  the  disgust  I  felt  for  bad  company. 
Added  to  this,  I  possessed  no  influence  over  her  mind,  and 
one  may  imagine  how  many  bitter  tears  she  made  me  shed. 
But  she  was  my  daughter ;  her  beauty  and  talents  made 
her  most  seductive,  and  though  I  could  not  induce  her  to 
live  with  me,  seeing  that  she  persisted  in  seeing  people 
whom  I  would  not  receive,  I  saw  her  every  day,  which  was 
still  a  great  joy  for  me. 

The  first  person  with  w^hom  I  made  acquaintance  on 
my  return  from  London,  was  Madame  Catalani,  whose 
splendid  voice  was  the  delight  of  Paris.  This  great  singer 
was  young  and  beautiful.  Her  voice  was  the  most -aston- 
ishing that  one  could  possibly  hear,  her  execution  and 

compass  were  marvelous.     I  took  the  portrait  of  this 
16* 


370  SOUVENIRS  OF 

charming  woman,  and  kept  it  as  a  companion  to  the  one  I 
took  of  Madame  Grassini. 

I  hastened  to  resume  my  musical  evenings,  and  Madame 
Catalani  was  so  obHging  as  to  sing  at  them,  to  the  great 
satisfaction  of  all  my  company.  We  had  very  little  instru- 
mental music  ;  for  Viotti  was  absent,  and  it  was  not  till 
some  time  later  that  the  delicious  violin  of  Lafont  came  to 
console  us  for  his  loss.  I  remember  that  on  one  occasion 
Madame  Dugazon,  who  was  passing  an  evening  with  me, 
sang  the  romance  of  Nina,  by  Dalayrac,  with  so  much  ex- 
pression, that  we  could  not  restrain  our  tears. 

As  I  could  not  always  have  music,  I  got  up  tableaux 
vivantSy  which  had  had  so  much  success  at  St.  Petersburg ; 
taking  care  to  place  behind  the  gauze  screen  the  hand- 
somest men  and  prettiest  women ;  I  arranged  some  charm- 
ing ones. 

For  a  person  who  desired  to  make  time  pass  agreeably 
for  her  friends,  I  had  what  I  must  call  a  piece  of  rare  good 
fortune.  My  brother  was  giving  at  this  period  lessons  in 
declamation  to  Mademoiselle  Duchesnois.  He  brought  her 
to  me,  and  made  her  recite  in  my  drawing-room  some  frag- 
ments of  her  parts.  We  were  charmed  with  her  superior 
talent,  and  could  not  imagine  why  they  would  not  engage 
her  at  the  Comedie  Frangaise.  The  fact  was  that  Mademoi- 
selle Duchesnois  was  not  pretty ;  but  I  felt  sure  that  the 
public  on  hearing  her  would  soon  forget  her  plainness.  As 
I  had  very  little  personal  influence,  I  called  on  Madame 
d2  Montesson,  who  was  in  favour  at  the  Court  of  Bonaparte. 
I  vaunted  my  young  actress  so  highly,  that  she  invited  her 
to  a  grand  soir/Cj  in  order  to  hear  her  to  advantage. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


Everyone  was  enchanted,  and  our  protegee  was  soon  ad- 
mitted. The  success  she  obtained  on  the  very  first  day, 
in  the  part  of  Phedre,  was  such,  that  it  enabled  her  to 
hold  her  own  against  the  most  beautiful  creature  ever 
seen  on  the  stage,  Mademoiselle  Georges,  who  made  her 
de'but  at  the  same  time  and  in  the  same  company. 

On  the  first  day  of  her  public  appearance,  I  gave  Made- 
moiselle Duchesnois  my  best  advice,  as  a  painter,  on  her 
costume  and  head-dress.  I  cannot  express  how  rejoiced 
I  was  at  her  great  success.  I  was  truly  glad  to  have  con- 
tributed to  the  fortune  of  this  young  girl,  who  had  no  other 
means  of  existence  than  her  talent,  and  who  was  besides 
a  most  excellent  person.  She  has  always  been  most 
grateful  for  the  support  my  brother  and  myself  afforded 
her,  and  until  her  death  remained  my  friend. 

I  often  visited  Madame  de  Segur.  Her  husband  told 
me  that  my  visit  to  England  had  greatly  displeased  the 
Emperor,  who  said  to  him  : 

"  Madame  Le  Brun  has  gone  to  see  her  friends  T 

Bonaparte's  grudge  against  me  was  not  however  very 
strong,  for  a  few  days  after  having  spoken  in  this  manner, 
he  sent  M.  Denon  to  order  me  to  paint  for  him  the  por- 
trait of  his  sister,  Madame  Murat.  I  did  not  dare  to 
refuse,  though  I  was  to  receive  only  seventy-two  pounds 
for  it,  being  just  half  the  sum  I  was  in  the  habit  of  re- 
ceiving for  portraits  of  that  size.  This  sum  was  even  less, 
on  taking  into  consideration  that  I  included  Madame 
Murat's  little  girl  in  the  picture,  without  augmenting  the 
price. 

It  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  describe  all  the  con- 


372  SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


trarieties  and  torments  I  underwent  whilst  painting  this 
picture.  At  the  first  sitting  Madame  Murat  appeared 
with  two  maid-servants,  who  had  to  dress  her  hair  before  I 
could  begin  my  painting.  On  my  representing  to  her  that 
it  was  impossible  for  me  to  commence  whilst  she  was  thus 
engaged,  she  consented  to  send  the  women  away.  Then 
she  constantly  missed  her  appointment,  so  that  though  I 
wished  to  finish  the  painting  as  soon  as  possible,  she  kept 
me  in  Paris  nearly  the  whole  summer.  Besides  this,  the 
interval  between  her  sittings  was  so  long,  that  she  frequently 
changed  the  manner  of  wearing  her  hair.  The  same  thing 
happened  with  her  dresses,  and  the  last  was  always  the  one 
to  be  adopted.  In  short,  the  constant  worry  Madame  Murat 
made  me  undergo,  upset  my  temper  so  much,  that  one 
day  when  she  was  in  my  studio,  I  said  to  M.  Denon,  loud 
enough  for  her  to  hear  : 

"  I  have  painted  real  princesses  who  have  not  tormented 
me,  or  kept  me  waiting  for  them." 

The  fact  is  that  Madame  Murat  was  quite  ignorant 
that  punctuality  is  the  poHteness  of  kings,  as  Louis  XIV. 
so  well  expressed,  and  who  in  truth  was  no  parvenu. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


Louveciennes — Madame  Hocquart — The  Twenty-first  of  March,  1814 
— Foreigners— The  Pavilion  of  Louveciennes — Louis  XVIII. — 
The  Twentieth  of  March,  18 15— The  Family  of  Louis  XVIII. 

S  I  had  no  wish  to  pass  my  summers  in  Paris,  I 
bought  a  country-house  at  Louveciennes, 
which  I  still  inhabit.  The  lovely  view  of 
the  Seine,  with  the  delicious  woods  of  Marly,  and  the 
cultivated  country  around  Louveciennes,  made  me  think 
it  a  sort  of  promised  land,  and  it  is  in  fact  one  of  the 
most  charming  of  the  environs  of  Paris. 

Another  pleasure  for  me  in  my  rural  establishment,  was 
having  for  neighbours  Madame  Pourat,  and  her  daughter 
the  Comtesse  Hocquart.  Madame  Hocquart  is  one  of 
those  distinguished  women  whom  it  is  a  pleasure  to  know. 
Her  natural  gaiety  and  wit  had  always  drawn  me  to  her, 
and  it  was  a  real  good  fortune  for  me  to  be  living  near 
her.  Amongst  her  many  talents  she  was  a  perfect  actress, 
and  in  certain  parts  might  be  compared  without  any  flat- 
tery to  Mademoiselle  Comtat.  The  result  of  this  was, 
that  theatricals  were  much  in  vogue  at  her  house,  and 
that  a  crowd  came  from  Paris  to  applaud  Madame  Hoc- 
quart. 

On  arriving  at  Louveciennes,  I  at  once  went  to  visit 

373 


374 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


the  Pavilion,  which  I  had  last  seen  in  all  its  beauty  in  the 
month  of  September.  It  was  quite  empty,  and  all  that 
had  ornamented  it  in  the  time  of  Madame  du  Barri  had 
disappeared.  Not  only  had  the  statues  and  busts  been 
taken  away,  but  even  the  chimney  bronzes,  and  the  locks 
of  the  doors.  In  short,  the  Revolution  had  visited  the 
place,  as  it  had  everywhere  else.  The  four  walls  still  re- 
mained, whilst  at  Marly,  Sceaux,  Belle  Vue,  and  many 
other  places,  the  name  alone  is  left. 

I  was  established  at  Louveciennes  when  the  allied 
armies  advanced  for  the  second  time  on  Paris.  Everyone 
knows  that  the  foreign  troops  ill-treated  the  villages  much 
more  than  the  towns ;  also,  I  shall  never  forget  the  night 
of  the  2ist  of  March,  1814. 

Ignorant  that  the  danger  was  so  near,  I  had  not  even 
meditated  flight.  It  was  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  and  I 
had  just  gone  to  bed,  when  my  Swiss  servant,  Joseph, 
who  spoke  German,  entered  my  room,  thinking  I  should 
need  some  one  to  protect  me.  The  village  had  just  been 
invaded  by  the  Prussians,  who  were  pillaging  all  the 
houses,  and  Joseph  himself  was  followed  by  three  soldiers, 
with  atrocious  faces,  who,  sword  in  hand,  approached  my 
bed.  Joseph  made  himself  hoarse  with  saying  in  German 
that  I  was  Swiss  and  ill  ;  but,  without  listening  to  him, 
they  commenced  by  taking  my  gold  snuff-box,  which  lay 
on  the  table  by  my  bed-side.  Then  they  felt  to  see  if  I 
had  concealed  any  silver  under  the  clothes,  and  one  of 
therh  coolly  cut  out  a  piece  of  the  counterpane  with  his 
sabre.  One  of  them,  who  appeared  to  be  French,  or  at 
least  spoke  our  language  perfectly,  said  to  them,  "  Give 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  375  " 

her  back  her  box,"  but  far  from  obeying,  they  went  to 
my  desk,  took  possession  of  all  its  contents,  and  pillaged 
my  wardrobes.  In  short,  after  having  made  me  pass  four 
hours  in  the  most  dreadful  fright,  these  terrible  people 
left  my  house,  where  I  could  no  longer  remain.  This 
was  not  the  only  time  I  was  obliged  to  quit  it  in  a  simi- 
lar manner.  On  the  return  of  the  Allies  in  1815,  the 
English  visited  Louveciennes.  They  took,  amongst  other 
things,  a  superb  lacquered  box,  which  I  regretted  ex- 
tremely, as  it  had  been  given  me  at  St.  Petersburg  by  my 
old  friend.  Count  Strogonolf. 

My  desire  was  to  reach  Saint-Germain,  but  the  road 
was  very  unsafe.  I  went,  therefore,  and  sought  refuge  at 
the  house  of  an  excellent  person,  who  lived  at  Marly,  near 
the  Pavilion  of  Madame  du  Barri.  Other  women,  as 
frightened  as  myself,  had  chosen  this  place  as  their 
asylum.  We  all  dined  together,  and  slept  six  ^n  one 
room,  where  it  was  impossible  to  get  any  rest,  as  the 
nights  passed  in  continual  alarms,  and,  besides,  I  felt  un- 
easy on  account  of  my  poor  servant,  to  whom  I  owed  my 
life.  This  honest  fellow  had  remained  in  my  house,  in 
order  to  look  after  the  soldiers,  and  to  fulfil  their  require- 
ments, which  made  me  tremble  for  him,  as  the  village  had 
been  given  over  to  pillage.  The  peasants  bivouacked  in 
the  vineyards,  and  slept  on  straw  in  the  open  air,  after 
having  been  despoiled  of  all  they  possessed. 

I  was  so  terrified  by  all  I  heard,  as  also  by  the  firing, 
which  was  incessant,  that  one  evening  I  tried  to  get  down 
into  a  cellar,  where  I  wanted  to  remain  ;  but  in  doing  so 
hurt  my  leg,  and  was  obliged  to  go  back  again. 


376 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


The  last  affair  took  place  at  Roquencourt.  There  was 
fighting  also  close  to  Madame  Hocquart's  house,  and 
very  near  the  place  in  which  I  was.  We  heard  that,  as 
soon  as  the  fighting  had  ceased,  the  Prussians  had  ran- 
sacked the  house  of  a  very  Bonapartist  lady,  who,  whilst 
the  fighting  was  going  on,  cried  out  from  her  terrace  to 
the  French,  ^'  Kill  all  these  people  there  !  "  The  victors, 
who  had  heard  her,  entered  her  house  and  broke  all  the 
furniture  and  glasses,  whilst  she  fled  to  Versailles. 

Though  Ave  could  gain  little  information  of  what  was 
going  on  from  Paris,  yet  it  was  easy  to  see  the  tradespeople 
of  Louveciennes,  who  met  every  evening  in  the  house  we 
inhabited,  were  all  desirous  for  the  return  of  the  Bourbons. 
At  last,  the  Mayor,  whose  conduct  had  been  both  honour- 
able and  energetic,  entered  the  village,  surrounded  by  all 
the  country  folk,  wearing  the  white  scarf.  The  following 
day  we  were  all  assembled  in  the  garden  of  our  refuge, 
when  some  one  came  in  to  tell  us  that  Monsieur  Dagwet 
had  just  arrived,  and  had  brought  the  news  of  the  entry  of 
Monsieur  le  Comte  d'Artois  into  France. 

This  news  gave  me  the  greatest  delight,  and  I  at  once 
started  for  Paris,  leaving  my  good  Joseph  at  Louveciennes 
to  look  after  my  house.  I  have  kept  the  letters  I  received 
from  this  faithful  servant,  who  groaned  at  seeing  my  gar- 
den ravaged,  my  cellar  emptied,  my  beautiful  court  de- 
stroyed, and  my  rooms  plundered.  "  I  implore  them," 
he  wrote,  "  to  be  less  destructive,  and  to  be  contented  with 
what  I  give  them,  but  they  reply,  *  The  French  did  much 
worse  to  us.'  "  And  in  this  the  Prussians  were  right.  My 
poor  Joseph  and  myself  were  the  victims  of  bad  example. 


\.  ■ 

MADAME  LE  BRUN.  37/ 

It  was  on  the  12th  of  April,  18 14,  that  I  had  the  hap- 
^  piness  of  seeing  M.  le  Comte  d'Artois  make  his  entry  into 
Paris.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  my  feelings  on  this  oc- 
casion ;  I  wept  for  joy.  One  knows  with  what  enthusiasm 
the  great  majority  of  the  Parisians  received  our  princes. 
As  people  asked  M.  le  Comte  d'Artois  for  news  of  the 
King,  whom  he  preceded,  he  replied  : 

"  He  always  suffers  in  his  legs,  but  his  head  is  excellent, 
we  will  walk  for  him,  and  he  will  think  for  us." 

Experience  has  proved  the  justice  of  these  words,  for 
the  strong  sense  of  Louis  XVIII.  was  very  necessary  to 
strengthen  the  restoration  at  this  epoch,  when  the  Bona- 
partists  were  still  so  numerous. 

At  last  Louis  XVIII.  himself  entered  Paris,  bringing 
pardon  and  peace  for  all ;  I  went  on  to  the  Quai  des 
Orf-evres  to  see  him  pass.  He  was  in  an  open  carriage 
with  Madame  la  Duchesse  d'Angouleme  ;  the  proclama- 
tion which  he  had  just  had  announced,  having  been  re- 
ceived with  acclamations  of  joy,  the  excitement  of  the 
crowd  was  great  and  general.  Flags  hung  from  every 
window,  and  the  cries  of  Vive  le  roi,"  were  so  hearty  and 
unanimous  that  I  was  quite  overcome.  One  could  read 
on  the  expressive  face  of  the  Duchess  d'Angouleme  the 
satisfaction  such  a  reception  afforded  her ;  her  smile  was 
sweet,  but  sad  ;  a  very  natural  circumstance,  for  she  was 
following  the  same  road  that  her  mother  had  taken  on 
going  to  the  guillotine,  and  she  knew  it.  Nevertheless  the 
acclamations  the  sight  of  the  King  and  herself  elicited, 
must  have  greatly  consoled  her  afflicted  heart.  The  crowd 
followed  them  to  the  doors  of  the  Tuileries,  singing  and 


373 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


dancing  before  the  Palace  ;  the  King  then  came  to  one  of 
the  windows  and  kissed  his  hand  repeatedly  to  the  people, 
when  their  delight  appeared  to  know  no  bounds. 

In  the  evening  there  was  a  great  reception  at  the  Tui- 
leries — an  immense  quantity  of  ladies  went  to  it ;  the  King 
spoke  to  all  with  perfect  grace,  and  recalled  to  some  of 
them  flattering  anecdotes  about  their  families. 

As  I  had  a  great  desire  to  see  Louis  XVIII.,  I  mixed  in 
the  crowd  on  the  Sunday  to  see  him  pass  along  the  gallery 
when  he  went  to  mass.  I  was  placed  with  all  the  rest  in 
front  of  the  windows,  in  such  a  manner  that  the  King 
could  see  us  perfectly  ;  as  soon  as  he  perceived  me,  he 
came  to  me,  shook  me  by  the  hand  in  the  most  amiable 
manner  and  said  many  flattering  things  on  the  pleasure  it 
gave  him  to  see  me  again.  As  he  remained  some  moments 
thus  holding  my  hand,  and  he  did  not  address  any  other 
lady  present,  those  who  surrounded  us  no  doubt  took  me 
for  a  very  grand  personage,  for  as  soon  as  the  King  had 
passed,  a  young  officer,  who  saw  me  alone,  came  and 
offered  me  his  arm,  and  would  not  leave  me  till  he  had 
placed  me  in  my  carriage. 

The  greater  number  of  persons  who  came  back  with  our 
Princes  were  my  own  friends  or  acquaintances.  It  was 
very  sweet,  after  so  many  years  of  exile,  to  find  oneself  in 
one's  own  country  ;  but,  alas  !  this  happiness  was  not  of 
long  duration,  and  even  whilst  we  were  rejoicing  over  the 
change,  Bonaparte  had  landed  at  Cannes  ! 

I  have  been  able,  like  others,  to  compare  the  reception 
which  he  received  at  the  capital  with  that  which  had  so 
recently  been  offered  to  the  King.    It  was  on  the  19th  of 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  379 

March,  1815,  at  midnight,  that  Louis  XVIII.  and  all  the 
royal  family  quitted  Paris.  Napoleon  entered  the  follow- 
ing day,  the  20th  of  March  ;  but  though  he  was  brought 
back  by  the  army  and  sustained  by  bayonets,  the  Parisians 
were  none  the  less  in  a  state  of  stupor.  Everyone  well  knew 
that  he  brought  with  him  into  France,  war  and  ruin  ;  so 
the  cries  of  "  Vive  I'Empereur  I  "  were  very  rare.  Whether 
it  was  chance  or  calculation,  he  did  not  arrive  until  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  at  once  took  possession  of  the 
Tuileries,  surrounded  by  an  exultant  army,  but  a  popula- 
tion mournful  and  sad. 

The  King  had  retired  to  Gand,  and  I  remember  the 
lower  class  of  the  people  sang  loudly  in  the  streets  of 
Paris  :  "  Rendez-nous  notre  paire  de  gants."  I  have  not 
forgotten  another  bon-mot  of  a  flower  girl,  who  said  to  a 
woman  by  her  side,  selling  lilies  : 

"  Well !  there  is  nothing  more  to  be  done  with  lilies, 
and  I  shall  sell  nothing  but  violets.'* 

"That's  true,"  replied  the  other,  "it  is  very  easy  to 
make  them  lie  low,  but  I  defy  you  to  do  so  with  the 
lilies." 

Without  wishing  to  insult  the  memory  of  a  great  captain, 
and  of  the  brave  generals  and  soldiers  who  aided  him  in 
gaining  so  many  splendid  victories,  I  may  ask  what  these 
victories  have  done  for  us,  and  if  we  are  the  better  by  one 
inch  of  ground  for  all  the  blood  they  cost  us.  For  my 
part,  I  own  that  the  bulletins  of  the  campaign  in  Russia 
revolted  me  ;  one  of  the  last,  after  having  spoken  of  the 
thousands  of  French  soldiers  we  had  lost,  finished  thus  ; 
"  The  Emperor  was  never  in  better  health."    On  reading 


380  SOUVENIRS  OF 

this  bulletin  at  the  house  of  my  friends,  Mesdames  de 
Bellegarde,  we  were  so  indignant  that  we  threw  it  into  the 
fire. 

That  which  proves  how  tired  the  people  were  of  these 
eternal  wars,  was  the  little  enthusiasm  that  they  showed 
during  the  Hundred  Days.  More  than  once  I  saw  Bona- 
parte appear  at  the  window,  and  retire  at  once  very  angry, 
for  the  only  acclamations  he  received  were  from  a  crowd 
of  gamins,  paid  no  doubt  to  cry  derisively  :  Vive  I'Em- 
pereur  !  "  Let  them  compare  this  indifference  of  the 
population  to  the  joy  which  burst  forth  on  the  return  of 
the  King,  who  re-entered  Paris  on  the  8th  of  July,  1815  ; 
this  joy  was  universal,  for  after  so  many  disasters  Louis 
XVIIL  brought  in  peace. 

From  this  time  it  can  be  seen  How  much  this  Prince 
joined  to  his  other  brilliant  qualities  both  wisdom  and 
skill.  The  circumstances  were  difficult,  and  Louis  XVIIL 
was  the  very  monarch  needed  for  the  occasion  ;  to  much 
courage  and  coolness  he  united  a  great  elevation  of  mind  ; 
his  manners  were  royal  ;  he  gave  liberally  ;  his  features 
were  not  wanting  in  beauty,  and  their  expression  was 
very  noble,  and  though  very  infirm,  his  appearance  at  once 
inspired  involuntary  respect.  His  favourite  recreation 
was  to  converse  on  literature  with  intellectual  people  ;  as 
he  was  a  good  Latin  scholar,  he  liked  conversing  in  this 
language  with  our  most  learned  Latinists  ;  his  memory 
was  prodigious,  he  could  recite  any  remarkable  pieces,  out 
of  any  book  he  had  read  once. 

Louis  XVIIL  greatly  enjoyed  and  patronised  the 
Comedie  Franfaise  ;  he  went  often  to  this  theatre,  and  he 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


thoroughly  appreciated  the  talent  of  Talma.  The  King 
held  frequent  long  conversations  with  him,  and  generally 
in  English,  as  they  both  spoke  this  language  perfectly.  I 
am  told  that  Talma,  said  ^  "  I  prefer  the  grace  of  Louis 
XVIII.  to  the  pension  of  Bonaparte." 

This  grace,  in  fact,  was  the  great  charm  of  the  Princes, 
it  doubled  the  value  of  each  gift.  The  Comte  d'Artois 
was  not  behind  the  King  in  this  respect.  When  after  the 
death  of  Louis  XVIII.  he  became  King,  I  was  at  the 
Louvre  on  the  day  he  distributed  medals  to  the  painters 
and  sculptors.  Before  giving  them  he  said  in  the  most 
gracious  manner  :  "  These  are  not  encouragements,  but 
recompenses."  All  the  artists  were  touched  by  the  tact 
and  flattery  of  these  words. 

He  noticed  me  in  the  crowd,  and  expressed  himself  so 
pleased  at  seeing  me  again,  and  looking  so  well,  that  I  had 
difficulty  in  restraining  my  tears. 

If  M.  le  Due  de  Berri  had  not  all  the  graces  of  his 
father,  he  had  the  same  tact  and  ready  wit,  so  useful  to 
princes.  I  select  one  example  among  a  thousand.  The 
first  time  he  reviewed  the  troops,  he  heard  some  of  them 
cry  out,  "  Vive  I'Empereur  !  "  "  You  are  right,  my 
friends,"  he  at  once  replied,  "  every  one  must  live." 
Then  these  same  soldiers  cried  out,  Vive  le  Due  de 
Berri  ! " 

His  kindness  of  disposition  was  so  great  that  not  only 
did  -he  interest  himself  in  all  that  concerned  his  friends, 
but  in  his  own  household  he  conducted  himself  like  the 
father  of  a  family.  He  was  adored  by  all  his  servants,  and 
he  made  use  of  his  influence  to  encourage  them  in  good 


382  SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 

conduct,  and  induced  them  to  be  careful  and  save  their 
money.  One  day,  on  getting  into  his  carriage,  a  little 
kitchen-boy  ran  up  to  him,  saying,  "  My  prince,  I  have 
saved  fifteen  francs  this  year."  "Well,  my  child,  this  will 
make  them  thirty,"  replied  the  Due  de  Berri,  who  doubled 
the  sum. 

The  Due  de  Berri  was  very  orderly  in  his  expenses  ; 
his  greatest  extravagance  was  his  taste  for  art,  which  was 
shared  by  his  amiable  wife.  The  Duchesse  de  Berri  de- 
lighted in  encouraging  young  artists  ;  she  bought  their 
pictures,  and  ordered  a  great  many. 

I  dare  not  speak  of  the  Duchesse  d'Angouleme. 
What  could  I  say  which  would  not  be  less  than  truth  ? 
The  virtues  of  this  princess  are  known  to  the  entire  world, 
and  I  should  fear  to  lessen  what  history  will  say  of  her. 
Such  was  the  family  the  Restoration  gave  back  to  us. 

I  leave  to  others  the  task  of  explaining  why  so  many 
virtues  and  so  much  goodness  did  not  suffice  to  guard  and 
keep  their  throne  ;  my  grateful  heart  can  only  regret  it. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


The  Queen's  Portrait — M.  Briffaut — M.  Aime  Martin — Desaugiers — 
Gros — I  paint  the  Duchesse  de  Berri. 

URING  Bonaparte's  reign  the  large  portrait  I 
had  made  of  the  Queen  was  stored  away  out 
of  sight  in  the  Chateau  of  Versailles.  I  went 
one  day  to  see  it.  On  arriving  at  the  Prince's  entrance,  a 
custodian  took  me  into  the  room  where  it  was  shut  up, 
and  where  the  public  were  not  allowed  to  enter  ;  the 
guardian  who  opened  the  door,  recognised  me,  as  he  had 
seen  me  in  Rome,  and  exclaimed,  Ah  !  how  glad  I  am 
to  see  Madame  le  Brun  !  "  This  man  hastened  to  turn  my 
painting,  it  was  placed  facing  the  wall,  for  Bonaparte  on 
hearing  that  many  people  came  to  see  it,  had  ordered  it  to 
be  taken  away.  An  order  which  was  not  well  carried  out, 
since  they  contrived  to  show  it,  and  the  custodian,  when  I 
wanted  to  give  him  a  trifle,  refused,  saying,  I  made  him 
gain  a  good  deal  without  that. 

At  the  Restoration  this  picture  was  once  more  exposed 
to  view.  It  represented  Marie  Antoinette  having  near  her 
the  first  Dauphin  and  Madame  holding  the  Due  de  Nor- 
mandie  on  her  knees. 

I  kept  at  home  another  painting  of  the  Queen,  which  I 

383 


384 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


had  executed  in  Bonaparte's  time.  Marie  Antoinette  was 
represented  ascending  into  heaven  ;  with  Louis  XVI.  and 
his  children  seated  on  some  clouds  (in  allusion  to  the  two 
they  had  lost.)  I  sent  this  picture  to  the  Comtesse  de 
Chateaubriand  to  place  in  the  Establishment  of  Sainte- 
Therese  which  she  had  founded.  It  was  put  in  the  vesti- 
bule of  the  church,  and  the  following  is  the  letter  she  wrote 
on  the  subject. 

"  On  Wednesday,  Madame,  I  shall  be  at  your  orders, 
and  I  feel  much  affected  by  the  pious  pilgrimage  you  in- 
tend to  undertake.  Madame  la  Comtesse  de  Choiseul 
was  well  pleased  with  the  place  we  selected  for  your  ad- 
mirable allegory.  I  wish  it  were  more  worthily  situated, 
but  it  is  the  best  we  have  in  this  poor  Establishment." 

Since  peace  seemed  restored  to  my  country,  I  no  longer 
wished  to  leave  it,  and  I  spent  my  days  between  Paris  and 
Louveciennes  ;  for  I  was  as  fond  as  ever  of  my  pretty 
house  in  the  latter  place.  I  passed  eight  months  of  the 
year  there,  and  my  life  was  very  peaceful  and  contented. 
I  painted,  I  amused  myself  with  my  garden,  I  took  long 
solitary  walks,  and  on  Sundays  I  received  my  friends. 

I  liked  Louveciennes  so  much,  that  wishing  to  leave 
some  souvenir  of  myself,  I  painted  for  the  Church  a  Sainte 
Genevieve,  on  which  occasion  Madame  de  Genlis,  who 
knew  I  was  engaged  on  this  work,  sent  me  some  very 
pretty  verses.  If  I  gave  pictures  I  also  received  them  in 
a  most  delightful  manner.  I  had  often  expressed  a  wish 
that  my  friends  would  paint  upon  the  panels  of  my  sitting- 
room  at  Louveciennes,  and  leave  me  some  token  of  them- 
selves.   One  fine  summer's  morning,  at  four  o'clock,  dur- 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


385 


ing  my  slumbers,  M.  le  Prince  de  Crespy,  the  Baron  de 
Feisthamel,  M.  de  Riviere,  and  my  niece,  Eugenie  Le  Brun, 
set  silently  to  work,  and  at  ten  o'clock  each  one  had  com- 
pleted his  panel.  My  astonishment  can  be  imagined,  when 
on  coming  down  to  breakfast  I  entered  my  room  and  found 
it  adorned,  with  these  charming  paintings,  besides  bouquets 
of  flowers,  for  it  was  my  fete-day.  The  tears  came  into 
my  eyes,  and  that  was  my  only  way  of  thanking  my  friends. 

I  had  not  given  up  my  Saturday  parties  in  Paris.  Death, 
had  taken  from  me  my  dear  Abbe  Delille,  and  several 
other  literary  characters,  who  had  long  been  one  of  their 
greatest  attractions.  But  I  formed  new  acquaintances, 
some  of  which  became  very  dear.  I  shall  mention  M. 
Briff aut  first ;  he  is  now  an  Academician,  and  was  the 
author  of  a  tragedy  performed  with  much  success  at  the 
Comedie  Frangaise,  (Ninus  II.)  and  some  excellent  verses  ; 
his  epistolary  style  was  quite  wonderful  in  its  grace  and 
ease.  When  I  was  in  the  country,  and  he  could  not  come 
and  see  me,  he  wrote,  and  I  may  say  that  his  letters  almost 
compensated  for  his  absence ;  friendship  apart,  many 
might  be  justly  compared  with  those  of  Madame  de  Se- 
vigne — I  have  preserved  them  very  carefully. 

I  also  saw  M.  Despres  *  and  M.  Aime  Martin  ;  f  M. 


*  Jean-Baptiste  Despres,  born  at  Dijon,  June  24th,  1752,  died  in 
Paris,  March  2nd,  1832,  He  was  a  journalist,  and  Councillor  of  State 
in  Holland  ;  he  was  a  member  of  the  French  University,  a  dramatical 
author  and  translator  of  English  and  Latin  works. 

f  Louis-Aime  Martin  was  author  of  * '  Lettres  a  Sophie  sur  la  Phy- 
sique, la  Chimie  et  I'Histoire  Naturelle,"  a  work  crowned  by  the 
French  Academy.  He  was  a  friend  of  Bernardin  de  St.  Pierre,  and 
17 


386 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


Despres  was  one  of  the  most  witty  men  I  ever  met ;  he  did 
not  live  long  to  adorn  society,  and  was  much  regretted  for 
his  talents  and  worth.  M.  Aime  Martin  will  I  hope  be 
long  preserved  to  the  affection  of  his  friends  and  the  es- 
teem of  the  public,  who  are  indebted  to  him  for  many  ex- 
cellent works. 

M.  Desaugiers  *  was  another  of  my  friends  ;  his  bright 
face  and  genial  spirit  were  enough  to  enliven  any  repast. 
He  often  dined  with  me,  and  I  remember  the  Princess 
Kourakin  always  invited  herself  on  those  occasions,  saying 
that  M.  Desaugiers  was  her  delight  ;  at  dessert  he  treated 
us  to  some  of  his  charming  songs,  of  which  he  composed 
several  which  are  inimitable  for  power  and  gaiety  ;  the 
Comte  de  Forbin,f  who  knew  them  all,  took  care  to  ask 
him  for  the  best,  and  our  indiscretion  never  tired  his  kind- 
ness in  complying  with  our  request. 

Another  person  with  whom  I  was  very  intimate  was  the 
celebrated  painter  Gros;J     I  knew  him  when  he  was 

after  his  death  married  his  widow,  and  adopted  his  daughter  Viginie. 
He  was  professor  of  literature  at  the  Ecole  Polytechnique,  etc. 

*  Marc-Antoine  Desaugiers,  bom  at  Frejus  in  1772,  died  in  Paris, 
1827,  composed  a  great  number  of  plays  for  the  stage,  which  were 
reproduced  at  the  Theatres  Fran9ais  et  Italien,  for  the  Opera  Co- 
niique,  etc.  His  parody  on  the  opera,  "  Les  Petites  Danaides,"  was 
played  over  four  hundred  times. 

f  Louis-Nicholas,  Comte  de  Forbin,  archeological  painter  and  man 
of  letters,  was  bom  1777,  he  was  a  Member  of  the  Institute,  Director- 
General  of  the  Louvre  Museum,  Chevalier  of  the  Order  of  St.  Mi- 
chael, and  Commander  of  the  Legion  of  Honour. 

X  Antoine-Jean  Le  Gros  was  born  at  Paris,  March  i6th,  I77i>  and 
died  June  25th,  1835.   His  body  was  found  in  the  Seine,  near  Meudon. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  38/ 

barely  seven  years  old,  at  which  time  I  painted  his  por- 
trait, and  saw  even  then  in  his  young  eyes  a  love  for  paint- 
ing and  colour.  On  my  return  to  France  I  was  astonished, 
nevertheless,  to  find  the  child  a  man  of  genius,  and  the 
head  of  a  school  of  painting.  From  that  time,  a  friend- 
ship sprung  up  between  us,  which  daily  increased,  for  Gros 
was  a  generous  and  sincere  friend.  I  took  a  great  interest 
in  his  successes,  and  was  very  happy  when  he  was  re- 
warded for  his  fine  painting  of  the  cupola  of  St.  Gene- 
vieve by  being  made  a  Baron. 

Gros  was  a  man  of  natural  impulses,  quick  to  feel.  He 
was  equally  enthusiastic  about  a  good  action  or  a  beauti- 
ful picture.  He  did  not  care  for  society  :  he  rarely  spoke 
when  in  a  crowd,  but  he  listened  attentively,  and  always 
answered  with  a  smile  or  a  single  v/ord,  always  very  h 
propos  of  the  subject.  His  death  made  me  feel  very 
grieved.  Soon  before  leaving  us  for  good,  he  dined  with 
me  and  I  noticed  that  he  seemed  to  take  much  to  heart 
some  criticisms  which  he  ought  to  have  allowed  to  pass 
unobserved.  As  an  artist,  as  a  friend,  I  shall  always  re- 
gret this  great  painter,  and  the  sad  circumstances  of  his 
violent  death  make  my  regrets  all  the  more  painful. 

But  I  have  allowed  my  reminiscences  to  carry  me  away 
from  that  time  of  my  existence  to  which  I  had  led  my 
readers.  I  must  return  to  it.  In  1819,  Monsieur  le  Due 
de  Berri  wished  to  buy  my  "  Sybil,"  which  he  had  seen  in 
London  at  my  studio,  and  although  this  picture  v/as  the 
one  of  my  works  which  I  liked  best,  I  hastened  to  satisfy 
his  demand.  A  few  years  afterwards,  I  painted  the  por- 
trait of  the  Duchesse  de  Berri,  who  gave  me  her  sittings 


388         SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 

in  the  Tuileries  with  great  pimctuaHty,  besides  which  it 
was  impossible  for  anyone  to  be  kinder  than  she  was  to 
me.  One  day,  whilst  I  was  painting  her,  she  said,  "  Wait 
a  moment,"  and,  getting  up,  went  to  her  library,  and  fetch- 
ing out  a  book  that  contained  an  article  in  my  praise,  she 
read  it  aloud,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end. 

During  one  of  our  sittings,  the  Due  de  Bordeaux  brought 
his  copy-book  to  his  mother,  on  which  the  master  had 
written  "Very  Good."  The  Duchesse  gave  him  two 
louis,  whereupon  the  young  Prince,  who  might  have  been 
about  six  years  old,  began  to  jump  for  joy,  saying,  "There 
is  something  for  my  poor  !  but  first  for  my  old  woman." 
When  he  had  left  us,  the  Duchess  told  me  he  spoke  of  an 
old  woman  he  often  met  out-doors,  and  whom  he  was  very 
fond  of.  It  was  nice  to  see  how  this  child  resembled  his 
mother  in  his  kindly  disposition — her  ear  was  always  open 
to  the  complaints  of  the  unfortunate. 

When  the  Duchesse  gave  me  a  sitting,  I  often  felt  an- 
noyed at  the  numbers  of  people  who  visited  her.  She 
noticed  this,  and  was  good  enough  to  say,  "Why  did  you 
not  ask  me  to  go  to  your  house  ? "  which  she  did  the  last 
two  sittings.  I  confess  that  I  could  hardly  help  compar- 
ing the  thoughtfulness  of  this  Princess  during  the  hours  I 
spent  with  her,  to  those  dreadful  ones  which  Madame 
Murat  made  me  pass. 

I  finished  two  portraits  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berri.  In 
one,  she  wore  a  red  velvet  dress,  and  in  the  other,  one  of 
blue  velvet.  I  do  not  know  what  became  of  these  por- 
traits. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


Cruel  Losses  I  sustained  in  my  Family — Voyage  to  Bordeaux — Mere- 
ville — The  Monastery  of  Marmoutier — Return  to  Paris — My 
Nieces. 

MUST  now  speak  of  the  last  sad  years  of  my 
life,  when,  in  a  very  short  space  of  time,  I 
saw  disappear  from  this  world  the  beings  I 
loved  best.  I  lost  Monsieur  Le  Brun  first.  It  was  true 
that  I  had  long  ceased  to  have  any  intercourse  with  him, 
but  I  was  none  the  less  much  grieved  by  his  death.*  You 
cannot  lose  for  ever  without  sorrow  a  person  attached  to 
you  by  such  an  intimate  tie  as  that  of  marriage.  But  this 
loss  did  not  approach  the  cruel  one  caused  me  by  the 
death  of  my  daughter.  I  hastened  to  her  side  as  soon  as 
I  heard  of  her  illness,  but  all  hope  of  recovery  soon  disap- 
peared, and  I  cannot  express  what  I  felt  when  I  saw  there 
was  no  chance  of  saving  her  life.  When  I  saw  her  on  the 
last  day,  and  my  eyes  fell  on  that  altered  and  lovely  face, 
I  fainted.  Madame  de  Noisville,  an  old  friend,  who  had 
accompanied  me,  forced  me  to  leave  this  bed  of  sorrow. 
She  held  me  up,  for  my  knees  refused  to  support  me,  and 


*  Jean-Baptiste-Pierre  Le  Brun  died  in  1813. 

389 


39^ 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


took  me  to  my  own  home.  The  next  day  I  had  no  child.* 
Madame  de  Verdun  came  to  tell  me,  and  vainly  tried  to 
soothe  my  grief,  for  the  naughtinesses  of  the  poor  little 
thing  were  all  blotted  out  of  my  memory,  and  I  saw  her 
as  in  the  days  of  her  childhood — as  I  see  her  now  .... 
Alas  !  she  was  so  young  !   Why  did  she  not  outlive  me  ? 

It  was  in  1819  that  I  lost  my  daughter,  and  in  1820  I 
lost  my  brother.  So  many  afflictions  succeeding  each 
other  made  me  profoundly  melancholy,  and  my  friends, 
distressed  at  my  appearance,  counselled  me  to  try  what 
change  of  scene  and  travelling  would  do.  I  determined 
on  visiting  Bordeaux.  I  did  not  know  that  town,  and  the 
route  I  had  to  traverse,  in  order  to  reach  it,  would  be  full 
of  interest. 

As  I  went  by  way  of  Orleans  I  visited  Mereville,  which 
belonged  to  M.  de  Laborde.  His  father,  who  was  enor- 
mously rich,  had  spent  millions  in  embellishing  this  really 
beautiful  estate.  Nowhere  could  one  see  finer  trees,  a 
more  abundant  vegetation,  and  nowhere  has  art,  joined  to 
exquisite  taste,  done  more  to  add  to  the  beauties  of 
nature.  In  fact  it  would  take  too  long  to  enumerate  the 
many  lovely  objects  which  render  the  park  of  Mereville 
such  an  enchanting  place  ;  it  surpasses  in  my  mind  any- 
thing I  saw  in  England  of  the  same  description.  It  was 
laid  out  principally  by  Robert,  the  landscape  painter,  and 
»  would  make  subjects  for  beautiful  pictures. 

The  chateau,  with  its  four  Gothic  towers,  giving  it  the 


*  Mademoiselle  Jeanne-Julie-Louise  Le  Brun,  wife  of  M.  Nigris, 
died  December  8th,  1S19,  in  Paris. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  39 1 


appearance  of  a  feudal  manor,  was  splendidly  furnished, 
The  dining  and  billiard  rooms  were  admirably  decorated, 
and  the  great  hall  with  its  marbles,  bronzes,  and  statues, 
made  it  a  residence  fit  for  royalty. 

I  arrived  at  Orleans,  where  I  visited  the  principal 
places  of  interest  ;  the  cathedral,  amongst  others,  stand- 
ing out  in  its  solitary  darkness  against  the  blue  sky,  for 
since  my  departure  I  had  always  enjoyed  lovely  weather  ; 
so  that  I  visited  without  any  hindrance  the  ruins  of  these 
ancient  chateaux,  of  which  there  only  remained  a  few 
crumbling  walls  decked  with  ivy.  For  a  painter,  the 
route  I  had  chosen  was  full  of  interest ;  on  every  side  were 
noble  ruins  which  often  caused  sad  reflections,  when  you 
thought  that  wars  and  revolutions  destroyed  more  in  one 
century  than  time  would  do  in  a  thousand  years. 

As  soon  as  I  reached  Blois  I  visited  the  Chateau  de 
Chambord,  that  romantic  spot  than  which  one  could  see 
nothing  that  has  a  more  powerful  effect  on  the  imagina- 
tion. You  can  stand  for  ages  before  those  old  wooden 
doors  on  which  are  sculptured  the  initials  and  devices  of 
Francis  I.,  recalling  the  story  of  that  amorous  king,  and 
many  other  tales  less  ancient  and  less  romantic.  I  should 
like  to  have  carried  away  those  gates  and  put  them  in 
frames.  I  should  like  also  to  have  drawn  the  interior  of 
the  tower  where  three  caryatides  are  sculptured,  of  which 
two  represent  Diana  of  Poitiers,  and  one  in  the  middle, 
Francis  I.  ;  but  the  heat  was  so  great,  added  to  a  strong 
wind,  that  being  quite  overcome,  in  consequence,  I  could 
not  find  a  corner  to  shelter  myself.  Now,  alas  !  yEolus 
alone  inhabits  those  towers  and  terraces,  and  yet  I  could 


392 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


scarcely  tear  myself  from  a  building  which  is  unique  of 
its  kind. 

I  next  visited  Chanteloup.  This  chateau  is  superb, 
and  still  retains  some  of  the  splendours  belonging  to  the 
Due  de  Choiseul.  The  park  must  have  been  magnifi- 
cent ;  near  the  lake  is  a  pagoda,  which  the  Duke  had 
caused  to  be  constructed  in  memory  of  the  friends  who 
had  visited  him  in  his  exile.  As  all  the  names  inscribed 
were  those*  of  nobles,  the  Revolution,  with  its  great 
broom,  had  swept  them  away,  notwithstanding  that  they 
were  engraved  on  marble. 

The  air  in  this  lovely  place  was  so  wonderful  that  it 
made  me  feel  another  creature.  To  tell  the  truth,  I  am 
gifted  on  this  point  with  an  instinct  which  is  quite  curious  : 
I  taste  the  air  as  gluttons  would  taste  good  food,  and  I 
believe  my  health  depends  on  my  susceptibility  for  breath- 
ing what  is  pure  as  much  as  I  possibly  can. 

This  instinct  of  which  I  speak  would  not  permit  me  to 
sojourn  at  Tours  for  any  time.  This  town  is  very  pretty, 
but  a  smell  of  drains  pursued  me  in  every  street.  My  inn, 
which  was  the  best,  possessed  it  also,  in  spite  of  the  vinegar 
and  odorous  herbs  I  used  to  disperse  it,  so  that  I  could 
not  remain  there  longer  than  two  days  ;  however,  I  had 
time  to  visit  the  Cathedral,  Academy,  and  several  ruined 
chateaux.  Then  I  crossed  the  Loire  in  a  boat  to  go  and 
weep  over  the  remains  of  the  old  monastery  of  Marmou- 
tier. 

I  was  taken  to  these  ruins  by  the  director  of  the  Acad- 
emy at  Tours.  Soon  after  my  arrival  I  had  paid  him  a 
visit  ;  he  presented  to  me  all  his  young  pupils,  and  was 


MADAME  LE  BRUN.  393 

kind  enough  to  act  as  cicerone  to  me,  a  great  help,  seeing 
he  had  lived  in  the  town  for  thirty-five  years  and  knew 
the  environs  by  heart. 

A  gang  of  wood-cutters  were  pulling  down  and  destroy- 
ing the  remains  of  the  Monastery,  whilst  I  was  there ; 
some  Dutch  merchants  had  wished  to  buy  this  place  and 
convert  it  into  a  manufactory.  They  offered  300,000 
francs,  which  was  refused,  and  afterwards  the  wood-cutters 
got  it  for  20,000  on  the  condition  that  this  splendid  edifice 
should  be  pulled  down  !  Vandals  could  have  done  no 
worse  !  Well  !  everywhere  on  my  way  I  heard  of  the 
same  sort  of  destruction. 

Under  the  gateway  of  the  second  entrance  to  Marmou- 
tier  I  sketched  a  tower  ;  it  is  beneath  this  tower  that  the 
Seven  Sleepers  are  buried  in  a  chapel  near  the  large  abbey 
church,  where  their  tombs  are  hewn  out  of  the  rock. 
Tradition  says  that  the  seven  sleepers  were  seven  disciples 
of  St.  Martin,  who  having  renounced  the  world  with  him, 
lived  in  a  most  saintly  manner  under  his  leadership,  and 
died  in  the  monastery  without  being  attacked  with  any 
illness,  all  seven  on  the  same  day.  Their  death  was  re- 
ported to  be  so  calm,  and  their  faces  were  so  little  altered 
that  they  might  have  been  thought  to  be  sleeping,  from 
which  cause  they  derived  their  name  of  "the  Seven 
Sleepers."  They  are  still  honored  as  Saints  at  Marmou- 
tier,  and  their  fete  is  publicly  held  in  that  town. 

To  reach  Bordeaux  I  passed  through  Poitiers  and  An- 
gouleme.  These  towns  are  picturesquely  situated  on  the 
summit  of  a  hill ;  from  Paris  to  Bordeaux  the  carriage 
road  is  excellent,  so  that  I  traversed  it  in  great  comfort.- 


394 


SOUVENIRS  OF 


On  arriving  at  Bordeaux  I  put  up  at  the  best  hotel, 
Fumel's ;  it  was  admirably  situated,  facing  the  port,  which 
is  large  enough  to  contain  thousands  of  vessels.  I  cannot 
describe  my  delight  at  the  magnificent  spectacle  spread 
out  before  my  eyes  whenever  I  approached  my  window  ; 
it  was  like  a  beautiful  dream.  So  many  ships,  brigs  and 
boats  continually  pas.sing  to  and  fro,  whilst  the  larger  ves- 
sels remained  motionless  ;  silence  reigned  over  this  im- 
mense expanse  of  water,  everything  seemed  like  fairy-land. 
Although  I  spent  nearly  a  week  at  Bordeaux  and  enjoyed 
this  spectacle  night  and  day,  I  never  tired.  By  moonlight 
it  was  particularly  beautiful ;  a  few  little  lights  then  ap- 
peared on  the  hill-sides,  and  it  was  illuminated  as  if  by 
magic. 

It  is  true  that  if  I  can  say  a  good  deal  for  the  beauty  of 
this  town,  I  know  little  or  nothing  of  its  inhabitants  ;  for 
with  the  exception  of  the  Prefect,  the  Comte  de  Tournon, 
who  was  fond  of  drawing  and  very  kind  to  me,  I  made  no 
other  acquaintances.  I  did  not  renounce  my  habit  of 
visiting  the  town  and  environs  ;  I  saw  the  cemetery,  whose 
sepulchral  regularity  pleased  me  immensely,  and  which  on 
that  account  I  prefer  to  any  I  have  seen — Pere-la-Chaise 
alone  excepted.  I  also  visited  the  synagogue,  built  after 
the  model  of  Solomon's  Temple.  It  is  a  most  interesting 
building,  and  so  mysterious  that  it  seems  to  invite  one  to 
pray.  The  remains  of  Gallien's  Circus  are  very  imposing  ; 
only  a  few  walls  are  now  left,  but  one  can  still  admire  some 
fragments  of  Roman  antiquities,  such  as  the  low  wall,  and 
an  amphitheatre  two  hundred  and  seven  feet  long  and 
one  hundred  and  forty  wide. 


MADAME  LE  BRUN. 


395 


I  felt  very  glad  afterwards  to  have  undertaken  this  long 
journey,  all  the  more  so  because  thanks  to  my  fondness  for 
ruins  I  brought  back  with  me  a  portfolio  full  of  drawings 
done  on  the  spot.  If  I  perceived  on  my  way  an  old  tower, 
as  soon  as  I  reached  my  inn  I  hastened  to  get  near  it ; 
often  whilst  I  was  drawing,  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
environs  would  gather  round  me.  One  day,  whilst  I  was 
lamenting  over  so  much  destruction  with  some  of  these 
folks,  one  of  them  said  : 

"  I  see  that  Madame  la  Comtesse  had  some  chateaux 
near  here." 

No,"  I  replied,  "my  chateaux  are  all  in  Spain." 
The  title  of  Countess,  which  always  greeted  me,  did  not 
surprise  me  at  all,  I  was  accustomed  to  see  myself  treated 
as  a  great  lady  ;  in  all  the  inns  I  had  titles  lavished  upon 
me,  but  I  owed  this  honour  to  my  carriage,  which  was 
fashionable,  so  I  did  not  become  proud ;  I  only  had  to  pay 
a  little  more  in  consequence.  My  health  benefited  by  the 
change,  and  I  returned  to  Paris  in  a  more  cheerful  frame 
of  mind. 

This  little  journey  was  the  last  I  made  up  to  the  time 
I  write  this.  I  took  up  again  with  my  usual  habits  and 
painting,  which  of  all  my  distractions  is  the  one  I  like 
best.  Although  I  have  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  so  many 
who  were  dear  to  me,  I  am  not  left  quite  alone.  I  have 
already  spoken  of  Madame  Riviere,  my  niece,  who  by  her 
tender  care  is  the  joy  of  my  life.  I  must  also  mention  my 
other  niece,  Eugenie  Le  Brun,  now  Madame  J.  Tripier  Le 
Franc.  Her  studies  prevented  my  seeing  her  at  first  as 
much  as  I  would  have  liked,  for  she  gave  great  promise 


39^         SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 

from  her  earliest  youth  of  becoming  a  good  painter,  much 
to  my  dehght.  I  took  pleasure  in  guiding  and  advising 
her  and  following  her  progress.  I  am  now  fully  recom- 
pensed, for  she  has  realised  all  my  hopes,  by  her  charming 
character  and  great  talent  for  painting.  She  has  followed 
in  my  footsteps,  by  adopting  portrait  painting,  in  which 
she  is  very  successful,  owing  to  her  eye  for  colour,  truth- 
fulness, and  knack  of  making  a  perfect  likeness.  Young 
still,  she  can  yet  add  to  a  reputation  which  her  timidity 
and  modesty  caused  her  to  think  as  barely  possible  to  ob- 
tain. Madame  Tripier  Le  Franc  and  Madame  de  Riviere 
are  become  my  children,  their  care  and  devotion  throw  a 
charm  over  my  existence,  and  it  is  near  these  two  beloved 
creatures  and  the  friends  who  are  still  left  to  me,  that  I 
hope  to  end  peacefully  a  wandering  but  quiet  life,  labori- 
ous certainly,  but  honourable. 


POSTSCRIPTUM. 


BY  THE  EDITOR. 

HE  old  age  of  Madame  Vigee  Le  Brun  passed 
avay  very  peacefully,  in  the  midst  of  the  com- 
fortable fortune  she  had  so  nobly  acquired, 
and  the  affectionate  care  of  her  niece,  Madame  J.  Tripier 
Le  Franc.  She  preserved  those  of  her  former  friends  who 
were  spared  by  death,  and  made  some  new  ones.  In  her 
salon  the  most  distinguished  members  of  all  classes  of 
Parisian  society  were  wont  to  assemble  :  men  of  the  world, 
artists,  and  literary  characters,  were  all  glad  to  assemble 
in  a  house  free  from  the  passions  and  intrigues  of  the  day, 
and  enlivened  by  cheerful  intercourse.  In  the  winter  she 
inhabited  Paris  ;  in  the  summer  the  country-house  she 
possessed  at  Louveciennes,  where  the  memories  of  her 
youth  seemed  to  awaken  in  the  presence  of  the  lovely 
scenery  by  which  she  was  surrounded. 

Madame  Vigee  Le  Brun  was  born  at  Paris,  rue  Coquil- 
liere  on  the  i6th  of  April,  1755,  she  died  in  that  city,  in 
the  Rue  St.  Lazare  on  the  29th  of  May,  1842.  Her  re- 
mains are  interred  in  the  cemetery  at  Louveciennes. 

During  the  life  of  Madame  Vigee  Le  Brun,  no  public 
establishment  in  France  possessed  any  of  her  works  ; 

397 


398  SOUVENIRS  OF  MADAME  LE  BRUN. 

which  is  all  the  more  surprising  because,  as  a  portrait 
painter,  this  artist  has  had  no  rival  before  or  since.  After 
her  death,  Madame  and  M.  Tripier  le  Franc,  incited  by  a 
generous  and  filial  sentiment,  presented  to  the  Louvre 
Museum  two  of  the  pictures  which  became  their  heritage 
on  their  Aunt's  death.  These  two  paintings  are  :  "  A 
Portrait  of  Madame  Vigee  Le  Brun  with  her  daughter  in 
her  arms  :  "  the  other  ;  "  A  portrait  of  a  young  girl  with  a 
muff."  It  is  enough  to  look  once  only  at  these  works  to 
feel  convinced  that  the  praise  we  have  given  to  Madame 
Le  Brun  is  in  no  way  exaggerated.  These  portraits  are 
full  of  life  and  sentiment ;  they  are  masterpieces  of  deli-* 
cacy  and  expression,  and  are  of  such  perfect  workmanship 
that  they  have  preserved  all  the  freshness  they  had  on  leav- 
ing the  artist's  studio  ;  and  yet  their  execution  dates  back 
to  the  end  of  the  last  century.  In  all,  Madame  Le  Brun 
painted  a  total,  of  six  hundred  and  sixty  portraits,  fifteen 
pictures,  and  nearly  two  hundred  landscapes  in  Switzer- 
land and  in  England, 


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